A Ray of Eternal Sunshine: Part One
by Emmmerald
Summary: When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. Jacob/OC - Rated M - Language & Mature scenes later.Set during Breaking Dawn. A/N inside.
1. Author's Note  Welcome!

**A/N** – Welcome readers!

Right for the benefit of **new** readers, I'll begin by saying thank you for choosing to read my fanfiction.

I began writing this briefly (for anybody that has visited my fanfiction site already, the title was **'A Ray of Eternal Sunshine**). I began writing it, but I was writing another FF so I decided to put it on hold. During this time, it gave me chance to design the plot in more depth and so I re written most of what I already had. The plot is still the same, but I have just improved it.

I designed this story especially to fit in with Stephenie Meyer's original plot line, meanwhile, adding my own character to spice things up a bit. I agree, this will get messy, but I have stuck to the storyline as much as I can as a writer and hopefully, throwing a spanner into the works, may actually work out okay.

This is a **Jacob/OC **fanfiction, so immediately I guess, for those that have read the Twilight Saga who are now thinking, _'Well, what about Renesme?'_, I have a plan for my story so please, just give it a read, and hopefully, all will make sense.

Here are just some brief points:

**Set during Breaking Dawn**

It is told, at times, from multiple points of view, although there are two main ones; Jacob and the OC. It will be made clear whose POV it will be, so don't let that put you off reading!

**This particular story will be split into three parts; Part One, Two and Three. It just breaks the story up and makes it easier for you as readers and me, as the writer.**

Overall, this will become a series; hopefully either a Trilogy or a Saga, depending on how many readers I get, if they review and if they want me to continue.

***Important* - This particular story is the second story in the series that I am writing. This will be explained later. I don't want to confuse anybody, so don't worry about that just yet.**

All I have to say is that I hope you enjoy the story. I don't own anything except my own characters. I can take no credit for the characters or the plot line Stephenie M created. I wish I could, but I can't.

Thanks for reading this (if you did!) and enjoy the journey.

**Emmmerald** x


	2. Prologue

Prologue

Sometimes, life is like playing on a chess board. One good move can equal victory; one wrong move can equal defeat. Is there any satisfying way to be defeated in chess?

The same question could be asked about about life.

As I stared at the thirty two pairs of angry red eyes before me, I knew in that moment, it was my time. I had my family behind me, but deep down, I knew even _love_ would not be enough to save me. Today, we were on that chess board and I was just another piece, but I was the piece that the Queen wanted to kill off.

As I walked forward to accept my fate, I felt that aching pull on my heartstrings. If this was my last chance of feeling any human emotion, I was glad it was now.

They say that life is full of choices; one right move, you're saved. One wrong move; you die.


	3. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Twilight or any of the characters within the Saga. I own only the characters that I invented.

I wouldn't mind owning Jacob though, if that's okay with you Stephenie M ;)

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**WHY DOES IT ALWAYS RAIN ON ME? TALK ABOUT BAD LUCK.**

I knew I didn't have long.

Not long as in I only had moments to live, oh no. I meant I only had moments before I would be torn to pieces and left to burn. I couldn't truly die, because, logically, in reality I was already _dead_. Well, partially dead, if I really wanted to get hypothetical. I had seen the picture all to clearly in my head. _How could I have been so stupid?_

I had this great master plan all panned out in my head and I knew that there was a huge risk that I would get caught, but I made a choice. I made a move, and I could not go back and change it. In all fairness, seven days was not a bad inning, considering that Demetri was the best tracker in the world. If only I had taken a different route. I expected them to come through Seattle, because that is why they were sent there. To find and kill the newborns. _Or so I had thought._ I guess things started making sense when I realised that none of them had been home in several weeks. I should fixed that jigsaw together much quicker. Well, I couldn't think about that now, not knowing that _she_ may pick up my scent at any time soon. _I had to keep running._

My head had been so blurred recently that I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I was so crazed with trying to escape and deciding my next route that I hadn't fully focused my concentration on what was going on in reality - it almost felt like I was dreaming. It was a dream that I couldn't truly escape.

They have a word for that – _Nightmare._

My life had been a nightmare, all eighty two years of it. Yes, it's true, I have been alive for eighty two years, yet I only have the bodily age of an nineteen year old. I never even made it to my twentieth birthday. Everything about me resembles my once ninteen year old self back when I was a nurse in 1943, but all that changed, and for sixty three years I have been troubled by this matter ever since. Unlike most of our kind, I am unique for a number of reasons - reasons that people would never understand. Immortality is not something I ever thought about or craved. I simply wanted to grow old and have a family and enjoy the simple things in life. I would most likely never have that experience. I had a husband once, but things are certainly different now.

I guess when you start thinking about the end, you go back to the beginning and reminisce all of the things you've done in your life. I cannot think of a single thing that I don't regret. My whole life has been a lie yet I carried on living it. I have committed some evil deeds, against my will of course, but I kept doing all those things that I despised so much. I have constantly gone against everything I have ever stood for. I was supposed to help save lives not take them away, but I did take away life. I took many, all to feed my own self loathing and satisfy my own hunger. _My thirst. My desire for the thing I wanted most._

That was going to end today.

I raced through the trees at such a speed that caused my vision to go even more blurred and I felt the stabbing pain against my chest. I placed my hand my chest and I felt the weak thud. It was becoming slower and more irregular than it had ever been. If my visual was not deceiving, it wouldn't take _her_ long to find me.

My legs began to ache and I felt the strain attack me once again. My supernatural side was failing me and my human side had clearly taken over. My breathing had become erratic. I wasn't scared; I was just anxious wondering why _she_ hadn't caught up to me yet. I was still running and I tried to focus, using my head to try and find out what the fuck _she_ was playing at. My talent, needless to say, was not the most consistent.

I tried to pick up speed, but the faster I ran, the more intense the pressure on my body became and it was enough to make me feel faint. I knew that I had to be stronger than this. I _am_ stronger than this I thought to myself. Before I even had chance to register where my legs were going to route me next, the heavens decided to open up and it began to rain, heavily as well I might add. _Why does it always have rain on me? Talk about bad luck._

I could feel my vision becoming increasingly demobilized and I couldn't see the path _she_ were taking, never mind my own path. I could feel my body failing me and suddenly it hit me. My body stopped mid flow. Luckily, I was stood beside a tree, so I reached out and grabbed it. I couldn't believe it. All at once, a new visual hit my head fast and cinnamon smell hit my nostrils like a bullet released from a gun. I couldn't see the picture my brain was trying to give me. Unintentionally, my mouth pooled with venom, which I swallowed quickly not wanting any temptation to do what I my instincts were telling me. _It definitely was not Jane._

My mind ached twitched and things became slightly clearer to me. I could see the route. Whatever it was, it was coming my way and I had to avoid it the best I could. The last thing I needed right now was another bloodbath for my own benefit. It wasn't worth it despite my desperate thirst. I had lost track of time being out here on my own. I couldn't even tell anybody what day it was, not that I had anybody to tell. The cinnamon smell was so distinct to me, that I was having trouble avoiding it. _It was getting closer._

I lost the visual; it disappeared from my head for some reason, yet I could still smell them. They were closing in on me. I began to panic slightly. The smell called my name through the trees, luring me to the body. I had to resist. _Now was not the time for a mid evening snack._

I increased my feeble speed through the trees, desperate to get away from whatever idiotic being was tracking me, or tracking something else. The smell was getting stronger and my mind was blurred so much it was impairing my own vision which was always immaculate. Tonight was different. Something wasn't right, and it wasn't because I was being tracked down by a pissed off vampire.

_This was something far more dangerous._

As I pushed my limitations further, the stench was abusing my senses and I was becoming intoxicated by it. My need and want to feed on this being was stretching far beyond my wildest fantasies. _This was my match_. My perfect blood match. Aro and the others had warned me about this. They warned me that despite my want to engage in a 'vegetarian' diet, that if I ever came across my blood match, nothing could stop me from feeding from it. I lusted for it. My breathing was becoming difficult as the venom flared my mouth, burning my throat as I swallowed hard once more.

_I couldn't do this. I wasn't strong enough._

A new thought entered my damaged mind. I_ was going to be destroyed anyway when they got Jane got her hands on me, so why shouldn't I drink myself to a merry afterlife? _I could feel my dark pupils fill with lust and want, so much so that my eyes burned a dangerous tone. As I approached the hill, my senses fired, burning like angry flames and it wasn't because of the cinammon smell. And then I froze.

My body stopped moving. I could hear my mind telling me to move and yet my body wasn't responding. I didn't feel in control of my bodily functions at all. They was no way to describe what I was feeling in that moment. I could feel this pull on my body, like a gravitational pull, but rather in my case, it was like a restriction. I looked out into the distance and I felt a visual shoot into my head. I felt my eyes roll slightly to the back of my head as my body fell limp to the wet muddy earth beneath my labored feet.


	4. Chapter Two

Longish chapter here, they will hopefully get shorter as time goes on but we shall see. This is **Jacob's POV **now and its Bella/Edward's wedding day. This is my interpretation of how Jake was feeling and the end of the chapter builds up from the last chapter I posted, so enjoy. Some of the dialogue in the beginning between Jacob/Bella/Edward is from BREAKING DAWN so I cannot take credit for it. Good old Stephenie Meyer.

Thankyou to all who have put this story on alert, favourited, author alerted or reviewed this story. A special thanks to **ren-hatake & NejisDarkNymph **who reviewed the previous chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Twilight. I wish I did. Just like Jacob wishes he could have Bella. Life is downright mean and cruel sometimes.

Read and PLEASE review.

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August 13th, 2006

**WAS I THE ONLY PERSON WHO DIDN'T WANT THEM TO SAY "I DO"?**

_Life sucks, and then you die._

Yeah, I should be so lucky.

"Congrats, guys," I heard Seth exclaim from across the room. _Seth_. _Why did he have to be so decent and genuine – especially to a bloodsucker?_

I could see my father stood next to Seth with Sue on Seth's other side. I felt his anxiety – I wasn't any easier for him to be here than it was for me. I sensed that Edward probably knew I was here now; if he couldn't smell me then he probably would have read my thoughts. _Talk about invasion of privacy._

In all honesty, I never planned on coming back.

In fact, after I fully healed from the newborn fight, I couldn't wait to get out of here quick enough. But something had drawn me back here. I didn't want to admit that I came back for Bella's wedding. I didn't want to give that leech the satisfaction. Still, today, I couldn't care less. He could read my thoughts. I wanted him to know how I felt; how it should have been me that had walked Bella down the aisle. That it was me that she would be spending her honeymoon with. It was me that should be making love to her tonight and giving her all the attention and care that she deserved. Me, that she would grow old with and have children with until death parted us.

Death was never going to be a problem for her and that _bloodsucker_; not after tonight at least. I had to stop – the thought of him touching her was enough to make me sick. The worst thought that came to my mind was the image of Bella being _one of them_. I would never truly know her as _Bella_ when that day came. She wouldn't be able to come near me for the risk that she might kill me for her own bloodlust. Oh well, I guess could just hand myself over a blood donor now. I was as good as dead without her in my life anyway.

This whole _imprinting_ business was a lot of bollocks if you asked me. What was the point of _imprinting_ on somebody you loved, if you couldn't truly have them? Now, call me old-fashioned , but it made completely no sense to me at all. Okay, I couldn't prove that I had _imprinted_ on Bella but I felt as though my feelings were strong enough to give it a fancy label. I have come to the conclusion that life does deal you some shit hands, but they must be dealt for a reason right?

_Yeah right._ _Fate _is for losers.

_"Yes" _I thought – I wanted him to know how I felt. He wouldn't feel guilty though – he had what he wanted and she was secure to him now. I loved Bella and he had _always_ known that. I didn't care if that _bloodsucker_ could read my mind; he would never truly understand how I felt in my heart. That's what I hated him for.

I would have been well within my right to object to this absurd marriage – but then I remembered Bella. The last thing I wanted to do was upset her, especially on her wedding day. It wasn't worth the hassle of her _parasite_ family wanting to pick a fight with me, especially Edward.

Actually, Edward, I would take quite willingly...

_No_. Upsetting Bella was not at the top of my priority list at this present time - the main thing was to get through this situation with minimal fuss and polite conversation. I made my way across the room, allowing myself to remain hidden in the shadows of the dance floor. I needed to ensure myself that my anger was under control. The whole dance floor reeked of vampires. My nose twitched at the burning smell of bleach. _Keep it under control Jacob. _

That's when I saw her. _Bella._ She looked beautiful – well she always did, but today she looked even more radiant. She looked... _happy._

I sighed. How could I possibly be unhappy when she looked so happy like this? I made my feelings tie in a big knot. Then I saw her _bloodsucker _husband. Yes – he knew _I_ was here. He made eye contact with me as he spun Bella around. He didn't look angry to see me; actually he looked happy as he flashed his bright white smile in my direction.

"What is it?" I heard Bella ask curiously.

"A surprise wedding gift." Edward whispered, kissing her forehead.

Great, now I am surprise gift. Shame I didn't come with a bow and a box with a tag saying _"To Bella and Edward, Hope you have a great life. Thanks for ruining mine Edward. Love Jacob x _

I am sure that would have gone down a treat.

Bella didn't understand what he meant so he spun her back around and led her over to where I was stood I balled my hands into fists in an attempt to control my anger. He leant into the shadows which concealed my body and whispered, "Thank you. This is very…_kind_ of you." He sounded like he didn't truly know what to say to me. Maybe he thought I wouldn't show up. Well, I proved him wrong.

_That's right bloodsucker. Hope you can hear me. _

Edward forced a smile. He knew I hadn't done this for him.

"Kind is my middle name," I replied huskily as I stepped out from the darkness, revealing myself to Bella. "Can I cut in?"

Bella's hand flew to my throat, throwing her body against mine into a tight embrace. I felt my skin burn as I contacted with hers, and I felt the satin fabric slip through my fingertips as I pressed her body as close I could to mine. She buried her face into my chest and I leaned my head down, pressing my cheek on top of her head. I guessed Edward got the message that ran through my head as he made an excuse to leave us.

"Rosalie won't forgive me if she doesn't get her official turn on the dance floor," Edward murmured sinking away over to the blonde leech. I appreciated what he was doing though – granting me this opportunity to be with Bella, even if it wasn't going to be for very long.

"Oh Jacob," Bella cried into my chest. "Thank you." She managed to choke out.

I moved my head off her chest and sighed. "Stop blubbering Bella. You'll end up ruining your dress. Besides, you don't need to cry. Its just _me_."

Oh, all the things I could have said in that moment, those probably weren't the best, nor the most truthful. Of course she could cry; this may have been the last time she could express her human emotions and I was glad that it was me that she chose to express these feelings too. Not Charlie or Renee, or even Edward. _Me. Jacob Black_. Her best friend...

_Just her best friend_.

"Just _you_?" Bella spoke again. "Oh Jake! Everything is perfect _now_." Her words cut deep. _Perfect for whom exactly?_

"Yeah – the party can start now. The best man finally made it." I replied, placing a small kiss on the top of her head.

"Now _everyone _I love is here." She responded, squeezing my body as tight as her small frame could manage. I sighed silently allowing that word to run through my head.

Love - such a strange word.

I hate how I am in the most awkward situation possible yet somehow, the most perfect one too. It was so perfect holding her like this, that all of my tact seemed to suddenly fly out of the window. "I'm going to remember you like this. Pretend that…" I couldn't finish my sentence. _Nothing good would ever come from me finishing my sentence._

"That what? That I died?" Bella replied.

I clenched my teeth. I was struggling to cope – I still didn't know why I was here. I was here only to be with Bella, to serve myself as a gift of presence, not judgment. But the more I tried to contain my judgment, the harder it was for me. I got the feeling Bella knew what I truly wanted to say. If I couldn't tell her know, then I never would.

"No," I answered quickly. "But I'll always see you _this way _in my head. Pink cheeks. Heartbeat. Two left feet. All of that." I felt Bella stomp her foot as hard as she could on mine. She inflicted no pain on me whatsoever and she knew that. "That's my girl." I smirked. I wanted to continue with my sentence but once again, I felt the need to stop.

"Jake – you know you can tell me anything. So spill." Bella was seriously trying to get this out of me.

"I –I … I don't have anything to tell you." I stammered my words. _Needless to say, I , Jacob Black was a terrible liar._

"Spit it out Jake." Bella urged. _How could I deny her? _

"It's true. I have nothing to tell, it's just-well-its something I want _you_ to tell _me." _

Bella raised her eyebrows at me. "Ask me." She replied coolly.

I wanted to know. I really did, but somehow what I wanted to ask her sounded so much better in my head than it would if I just said it. I ran it by myself all day and it seemed a reasonable question, but now, I wasn't so sure.

"It's _not_ tonight Jacob." She whispered. _Great, she knew what I was thinking. Could she read my mind too? _

"Oh." I answered with a sigh of relief. And then I ventured the big question. "Well _when_?"

She sighed, putting head down, concealing her face. "A week. _Maybe_ two."

"What's the hold up?" I asked sarcastically. _Don't put ideas into her head Jake you idiot!_

Bella shrugged. "I didn't want to spend my honeymoon writhing in pain thank you very much Jacob." She smiled out of the corner of her mouth.

"You would rather spend it how? Playing checkers? Maybe a bit of monopoly to lighten the mood?" I joked, even though the concept was far from funny.

Bella shook her head. "Very funny Jake. Ever think of becoming a comedian?"

"Thought about it. Not really my thing," I paused, looking down at Bella. "I'm serious though Bells. You can't have a _proper_ honeymoon with a _bloodsucker _surely?"

And that's when she snapped. I clearly didn't relay my thoughts or words very well.

"I will be having a proper honeymoon! AND I can do anything _I_ want, so butt out Jake!"

_Shit, this was not how I wanted to part with Bella. The plan wasn't going well on the Black front._

"What? What did I say?" I gasped in horror.

"What did you mean when you said: "_You can't have a proper honeymoon with a bloodsucker surely?"_"She raged again.

_I couldn't full grasp her concept. How could she even think that a honeymoon with a bloodsucking vamp was going to be remotely like a human honeymoon?_

"I just meant - well—you're _still_ human! You cannot possibly believe that you can – you know-with _him! _That's a sick joke Bella!"

Bella glared at me dangerously. If I wasn't fully aware that she was indeed still human, I would think that she was one of them. She had never given me a look like that before.

"Just butt out Jake. This is none of your business! You shouldn't even—we shouldn't be—this is a private matter!" Bella hissed dangerously.

I tightened my grip on her arms in attempt to calm her down. She struggled against my grip. "Jake let go of me!" I shook her, again to calm her down. Bring her head out of the clouds.

"Bella! Have you completely lost your mind now? You can't be that stupid!" I felt my anger build up slightly. I couldn't get into my head what Bella was actually considering doing that tonight. More importantly I couldn't believe that _Edward _had actually agreed to it.

"Jake – stop!" Bella hissed again.

Suddenly I felt a pair of hands grip my arms from behind. It was Seth.

"Jake, bro, back away," Seth urged. "Let her go Jake because you'll hurt her if you don't."

I then heard that bloodsucker's words grip me like a vice. "Take your hands off her!" I let my hands fall by my side. Seth's hands remained gripped to my forearms – bless the little tyke. He was only trying to help. He always seemed to be keeping the peace and he hated it when members of the pack lost their tempers.

"C'mon Jake. Lets go." Seth said tugging at the sleeve of my shirt. I seemed to freeze. I couldn't believe I had let my self control slip so easily. I felt ashamed. I felt angry. I needed to get out of here but not before I spoke my parting words to that leech. I could have told him by my thoughts – but it would have been all too easy for him to shake it off.

"I'll kill you," I choked with rage starting towards Edward. "I'll kill you myself. I'll do it now!" my body burned such a supreme rage that even I myself had no control over it.

Seth continued to tug at me my sleeve. He was clearly not going to give up. "Don't do it Jake. Walk away."

"Seth, get out of the way." The leech hissed.

Oh how I would love to fight him, right here right now. He would love it too. I sensed that from the way he was glaring at me. He wanted conflict – he _craved_ it. Maybe because he thought he could possibly win. His eyes narrowed as he listened in on my thoughts.

_That's right leech. Have a good listen. _

Suddenly I felt another presence next to me, backing me up. _Sam._

Sam's wolf form leered at me, and I suddenly snapped out of my imaginary fight with Edward – the one where I ripped him apart bit by bit. Sam began towing me away as Seth pulled on my shirt leading me outside into the night…

* * *

"What the hell we you thinking." Sam barked as he phased back into a human, pulling his khaki's back on. I turned away; my eyes were filled with so much hate and anger for that leech that if Seth, Sam and Quil hadn't of been around me then I would have gone back in their and torn him apart. Quil was still in his wolf form, guarding the door so that I wouldn't get back in.

"I don't know—I –wasn't thinking-"I stammered as I felt my blood boil. I felt like I needed to phase.

"Clearly." Sam stated.

I shook my head, hoping that somehow I might be able to clear it of my thoughts. It didn't work.

"You were lucky Jake, that that _leech_ didn't attack you." Sam warned. I felt his eyes glaring straight at me.

I snorted. "Yeah right okay Sam. You really think that I wouldn't have fought back?"

Seth intervened. "Sam's not talking about that Jacob. Suppose you had really gotten into a fight and one have you had died or gotten injured? Did you really even take into consideration how Bella would have felt losing one of you? How all of this would have affected her?"

_How was it that Seth was beyond so wise beyond his years? _

"You don't ever get those people back Jake. I should know." Seth drew off in his sentence.

_I felt my heartstrings snap. Seth was referring to his dad_.

Sam walked over to me, placing his hand tightly on my shoulder. "Seth's right Jake. Do you really want to risk losing Bella Jake? All over a stupid fight between you and her husband?"

_Husband._ The word freaked me out. I would never get used to anybody referring to _him_ as her husband.

"Well I've lost her for good now Sam or will I have done soon enough, so what's the point?" I shrugged Sam's hand off my shoulder and turned away from my three pack members. I removed my shirt and trousers and began racing towards the woods. I phased as soon as I reached the edge of the trees.

"_Where are you going?"_ I heard Quil communicate with me as I ran deeper into the woods.

"_To hunt._

"_Be careful mate." _

"_I will, and Quil..." _

"_Yeah Jake." _

"_Don't follow me." _

* * *

I increased my speed a lightening rate. This was the fastest I had ever ran. It felt great. I loved to run. I felt like I had a sense of freedom as a wolf that I never had as a human. Hopefully Quil would have heeded my warning not to follow. He knew better than anybody that I needed time by myself. I wasn't intentionally going to hunt, but I needed some excuse to get away. I hadn't even gotten halfway into the forest when my senses began to twitch. I smelt that smell that made my nose burn and the back of throat tingle. That awful bleach smell.

_Vampire. _

_Great the bloodsucker had come to his senses. Bring it on. Nobody is around so lets fight it out._

But then I realized that it wasn't him. It wasn't his smell – even though vampires smelled foul, they each did have their own fragrance which divided them. It was more than one smell. That meant that there was more than one of them.

_God, did these vampires have a death wish or were they just incredibly stupid? It wasn't the Cullens - I knew that much. _

I began to run deeper into the forest, trying to keep up with the scent. It was miles and miles away but I could still smell it. Why could I smell it if they were so far away? As I kept the scent well within my senses, my legs plummeted into the hard ground, gaining more speed.

The forest was alive; I could hear the owls in the trees, the mice and the rabbits scratching along the soil and the crickets singing amongst the greenery. I felt so alive. I wasn't thinking about the road I was taking - something seemed to be drawing me in and I wasn't sure what it was. Suddenly a new scent hit my nose halting me in my track. _Blood, lavender, lemons and strawberries were all radiating from one source_.

Something wasn't right here.

The bleach smell had died off somewhat, but it was still within my tracking range, but this new smell was as clear and defined as the day was long. My body reacted and began to power through the trees once more. I couldn't stop; I was powerless now. I had to find this smell. I craved it.

It didn't take me long to reach my destination; the smell was a hundred times more dominant than ever. It was making me a little dizzy – intoxicated even, if I dared to go that far. I raced towards the hill and there before my eyes, I saw her.

She made eye contact with me but it was as if she couldn't see me. I could make her figure within the darkness. Her eyes seemed too dark to me, I couldn't see them properly. Her long hair was tousled and hung down by her chest. I heard her breathing increase slightly, but she wasn't scared. I wanted to know what she was thinking. The only time I wished to be Edward and it was now.

My body was beginning to feel out of continent. I could no longer hear anything- it seemed like the only senses that seemed to be working now were my eyesight and my sense of smell. All I could see was this girl and she was all I could smell. Everything else seemed to dull; every other sense I had, every other thought or feeling - gone. My body began to do things that I didn't tell it to. I felt my heart skip several beats and I felt a stretching feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt the pull but did she feel it too? I began to walk steadily towards her, and she reacted to my movement. She seemed to be getting closer to me but I felt an ache as her hand flopped to her side. Her head rolled and she fell to the ground. I broke my pull and ran towards her.

Her body seemed lifeless. I skimmed over her body, but I could not smell nor see any sign of any injury. My nose ruffled her hair and skin, trying to tell her I was hear to help. I pulled away quickly. Her skin. Her skin was cold- well colder than mine, colder than the average human. _Was she dying?_ She had a heartbeat; she had a pulse because I could hear it, even though it was very faint. Something told me she wasn't like me. She wasn't _human._ I looked down at the girl, my eyes fixated by her subtle beauty and I howled as loudly as I could manage.

_Somebody had to hear me._

I looked down at her one last time. She looked so peaceful.

Whoever this girl was, I knew she was my _downfall._

That's the problem with _imprinting_.

It seems to fuck up your life.


	5. Chapter Three

**A/N** - Thank you to everybody who has reviewed/story alerted/ author alerted, I really appreciate the support. Just need to raise the profile a bit more :)

This chapter is in **SAM'S POV.** It will be the only time in this story that it will be from his POV. Originally, this chapter never existed, but I figured it would fill a few gaps in the story, and I wanted the readers to see inside Sam's head for once. It is fairly long, but there is a lot of info to cram in.

Hope you enjoy. Reviews would be lovely. Much love to **TayaHearts**, who is one of my best friends on here. Check her out and you'll realise how lovely she is! :)

Also, anybody that could recommend this to any other readers or fans of JACOB, that would be lovely.

**Emmmerald** xXx

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SAM POV

**THEY CALL ME THE ALPHA, BUT EVEN I DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING**

'Where's he going Quil?' I asked as Quil phased out of his wolf form, and started putting his new jeans on.

'To hunt, so he says.' Quil fastened his button and turned to face me. 'Sorry for phasing back, but I don't want to be able to listen to his thoughts right now. It would probably give me a migraine.'

I exhaled. 'Good, maybe running will help him burn off some steam.'

I knew Jacob Black had a temper, but he had hit a whole new level tonight. God, he could even give Paul a run for his money, and that was saying a lot.

'Is he gonna be okay?' Seth asked curiously.

Quil and I exchanged glances and shrugged our shoulders. 'Who knows Seth? Just gotta let his anger run its course. He can't do anything now. She's married, and she's happy.'

I did feel sorry for Jake, but at the end of the day, Bella Swan had made a _choice._ I know she loves Jake, that much is obvious, but she loved that leech _more_. As much as it pained me as an Alpha to see a pack member hurt, it gave Jake the perfect opportunity to get the closure he needed. He had to move on, for the sake of his pack and for his family.

'We should head back to the Rez. Paul and Jared are out there, so they'll keep an eye out for Jake.' I said, as the three of us started moving towards the borderline. No sooner had we walked a few metres, when I heard a howl emerge from the woods.

_Jacob. His howl was unmistakeable. _

'What the fuck has he done now?' I hissed under my breath, and began removing my khaki trousers. I heard Quil sigh in response. 'He had to wait til' I put my new jeans on didn't he?' Quil moaned as he began to remove his jeans once more.

'Well at least you got two minutes wear out of them.' Seth smiled trying to break the mood.

'Hurry up, let's go guys. Quil, I'll buy you a new pair of Levi's. Just get your ass in gear now!' I barked. I phased and began running as fast as could heading into the forest .

_Sam, I heard Jake's howl. What's happening? _

_Jared, where are you? _

_East Wood. _

_Me, Seth and Quil are West. _

_We just picked up Jake's scent. He's North. We're not far from him. _

_Good. Where's Paul? _

_He's already ran ahead. There's something not right out here Sam. There's a strange scent. _

_What do you mean? _

_I don't know. But it sure as hell ain't human. _

_I've found Jake. _

_Paul? _

_Holy shit._

_Paul, focus. What's happening? _

_Fuck! Sam, you better get here quick sharp._

_Why are we pissing about? Let's just kill it already. _

_Hey! Nobody does anything until I get there. _

I pounded through the woods; Quil and Seth right behind me. I didn't like the sound of this. As I plummeted through the woods, I suddenly picked up a strange scent. If this was the smell that Jared was referring to, he was right. Something wasn't right here. The smell wasn't unpleasant, but far too delicate smelling for my nose. I twitched.

_Can you smell THAT?_

_Yes Quil. I think we can all smell it. _

_Jeez, Jared wasn't kidding. It smells like..._

_Lavender? _

_I like Lavender. My mum has lavender in the bathroom..._

_Quil, not the time. Focus!_

_Sorry!_

We were getting closer and closer to the destination and the fragrance became stronger and stronger. We made it across the last stretch and in the distance I could see my pack. I saw Jared, Paul and Jacob gathered together. Jacob and Paul were growling at each other.

_Hey, enough!_

All three wolves turned to my attention. I made my forward and Jared and Paul backed off slightly, whereas Jake didn't move. I eyed Jacob before I looked down at the thing that was emitting such a rich smell. I could not believe it. Before my eyes was a girl; but this was no ordinary girl, that much I knew straight away. Her smell was _not _human. I heard Jake growl at me as I approached her. I looked up at him in surprise and I saw that he was baring his teeth.

_Woah Jake calm down man. _Jared pushed his paw in front of Jake to hold him back.

I looked Jake straight in the eye.

_Care to explain Jake? _

He didn't say anything.

I moved forward again and began sniffing the girl. I shook my head in reaction to her smell. It really was the most unusual smell. She was definitely unconscious. I backed off once more.

_Jacob,Paul, phase back. Seth and Quil, make a circle around us. _

Everybody did as they were told with little hesitation. I phased back with Jacob and Paul.

'Sam, listen-' Jacob began to speak as he pulled on a pair of shorts that Paul handed to him. It was a good job that we made it a habit of hiding clothes around the woods.

'You don't need to speak Jacob. You called us, that's the main thing,' I fastened the button my another pair of khaki's and edged a little closer to the body. 'How did you find her?'

Jacob looked down meeting my glance. He was staring at her. 'I _didn't_ find her.'

'What do you mean?' I questioned futher.

'I picked up a scent when I was running. I wasn't thinking, I just ran after her'

'You chased her?' I growled. How could be so foolish? He should have howled the instant he smelt anything unusual. For all he could have known, this _thing _could have killed him off and we could have done nothing to stop it. Then again, why should I be suprised? This wasn't the first time Jacob had done something stupid.

'No, I was following her scent. I knew she wasn't human, but I was curious. I couldn't help it.' Jacob stammered. _What the hell was wrong with him?_

'I can't see why you'd bother. That smell reeks.' Paul chipped in.

I rubbed the back of my head. 'I don't condone that you went after _her_ singlehandedly Jacob. As my Beta, she should know that by now!'

Jacob balled up his fists. I could see he was getting defensive now. 'I couldn't let her be killed. Whatever it was that was after her-'

I had to interrupt him right there. 'Wait! There was more than _one_?'

Everybody stared at Jacob who seemed a little lost for words, which wasn't like him. 'I'm not sure. But she wasn't just running for the sake of it. She was being chased, I'm sure of it.'

Shit! This was messed up. I glared down at the girl grinding my teeth.'If something was tracking her, then that means she's already led them _here_. They will know she's here now.'

I bent down onto the muddy floor to where the girl was laid. I examined her the best I could. Her skin was cold; not freezing, but certainly below normal human temperature. I was looking for something. Anything that would indicate what she was. She didn't smell much like a vampire; they had sickly bleach smell. Her smell was sweet, unusual, but it didn't make me want to be sick, unlike traditional vampires, like the Cullens. I inspected her arms for any bites. Nothing; just a couple of yellow-purple bruises which has formed at the service of her cool skin. As I rolled her over, she had a backpack on her back. I decided to leave it there for now, and I'd get one of the guys to inspect it later. I moved further up her body, instinctively going for the typical vampire bite zone. _The neck_. Her hair was long and thick, and from what I could see was an auburn colour, not that it truly mattered. It felt dry and I lifted it my nose to smell. I slowly moved the hair away from her face and neck and leaned in to get a closer look. I had a gut feeling that any moment this girl could strike, that this whole thing could be an act. But I was willing to take the risk.

As I leant in, I felt my eyes widen at my discovery. True to my instincts, there it was. A crescent shaped scar just below her left ear.

_This was all the proof I needed. _

'Yep, she's a vampire alright.' I pulled the collar back over her neck and standing up, crossing my arms across my chest. I had no idea what to do now. I was the Alpha. I was supposed to make these decisions with ease.

'Well, that's easy enough. We have permission to kill her then.' Paul spoke confidently.

Before I had time to react, Jake phased suddenly and growled once more at Paul. He was far too good at phasing, that even I, on a regular basis, could not contend with Jake's speed. But once again, he had now destroyed _another _pair of shorts. This boy had already cost Billy an arm and a leg in clothes in the past few months.

'Easy Jake' I warned him. Jake's wolf form towered over Paul glaring at him.

Paul just sniggered. 'I think he feels like he earns the right to kill it, seeing as _he_ found it.'

I leered at Paul. 'Nobody kills anything..._yet_.' I paused, rubbing the back of my head.

Paul scoffed.'Are you crazy? She's on _our_ lands Sam. This _leech _deserves to die.'

This time, Jake roared at Paul.

'JACOB! ENOUGH. JARED, CONTROL HIM' I roared.

Jared stood in front of Jacob, each of the growling at each other. My head couldn't comprehend this. Why would there be a vampire on our lands? We fought a bunch of newborns off little over a month ago. _Could she be newborn? _I wasn't sure. All I knew is that she was a vampire, but I had a gut feeling that she was different, and I just couldn't place my finger on it. I took this opportunity to address Seth. I hade made my decision.

'Seth, run back to La Push and alert the elders. It seems as though we may have a visitor on La Push tonight. '

Seth nodded and began running back towards La Push.

Paul stepped forward towards me. 'Sam, you can't be serious!'

I looked down at Paul, narrowing my eyes at him. 'That's an order Paul. I'm the _Alpha_, so therefore I make decisions. Got it?' I pushed him out of my way.

'What are the Elders going to think?'

'We'll call a meeting as soon as we get back. Right now, we need to get her help. She may not last the night.' I paced for a moment, pinching the bridge of my nose. 'Right, Paul phase. Jacob, if you can keep yourself under control, phase back. Jared, stay as you are. Quil, you lead the way back to La Push.'

Quil nodded and began running. Jacob had phased back by now. He didn't even care that he was naked, he just walked over to the girl and bent down to her. He didn't touch her, but he didn't need to. His body language spoke far better than any words that could come out of his mouth. I walked a few metres away and bent down into the trees, finding a pair of Jared's shorts carefully hidden away. Jared would be in no mood to argue with me over giving his pants to Jake.

I walked over to Jake. ' Here.' I handed him Jared pants and he accepted them. I waited until he'd dressed before grabbing his shoulder. '_You_ carry her' I ordered.

Jake nodded, and slowly gathered the girl up in his arms. He was so careful with her, that all of a sudden, all of the pieces fixed together, and I was surprised that I had not picked up on it earlier. As Jake held the girl, I saw that look on his face. It was much more obvious now that he was in human form. His eyes were practically screaming it to me. As he looked at me, he knew that I knew. I didn't think now was nor the time or place to be having this discussion.

'Let's go' I demanded, and then I phased back, as we made out way back to La Push.

* * *

It didn't take us long to get back to La Push, and as I had predicted, nearly all the residents of La Push were gathered outside waiting for us as we brought our 'visitor' to the Rez. Seth was already waiting still in human form for us as we approached. Quil raced ahead, along with Paul and Jared. I walked alongside Jake. I felt as though he needed my support right now, and by hell, I was going to need to come up with something really good in order to explain this.

There were gasps from some of the families as Jake carried her past them. I will make no bones about it, that this girl was stunning, even in her current condition. But either way, she was still a _leech_, and to many who were gathered here tonight, she was still an enemy to La Push residents.

I smiled when I saw Emily waiting for me. She was stood next to Kim and I couldn't help but pick up the fact that looked extremely she anxious as I approached. _How was I going to explain this to her?_

Emily walked up to immediately and placed her arms around me. I held her close to me in a tight embrace. 'What's going on Sam?' She whispered, breaking away from the hug. 'Seth came running in telling us you'd found some girl in the woods'

'It wasn't just some girl,' I said, turning her to face Jacob who was holding onto he girl so carefully. 'She's a _vampire_.'

Emily reacted as I thought she would. She walked over to Jacob and looked down at the vampire. She turned back to face me. 'Let me help?' she begged.

I nodded. 'Take her to our place Em,' I held her hand in mine. 'Search her body for any injuries. We've already found a scar on her neck. It means she been marked as a vampire. That much we already know.'

'Okay. I'll take Kim with me.'

'I'd take Jake as well.' I advised. 'Just in case.'

Emily nodded as she led Jake back to our house.

I could not believe what I was doing. I had just allowed an unconscious vampire into my house, with my fiancé. _I must be out of mind_ I told myself. Too many things had happened tonight in such a short space of time. Seth walked over to me, placing his hand on my arm.

'The Elders are at our house. They've gathered waiting for you.'

'Thanks Seth. Run over to Emily's and keep an eye our for me.'

'Sure thing' Seth replied, catching Emily, Kim and Jake up. He was a good kid. Actually, he was the only one who ever fully followed through on orders, and he was fifteen! I wasted no time, and began running to Seth's house.

As I approached the Clearwater's residence, I saw Leah sat outside on the chair. Her eyes spelt pure hate as I approached. She stood up and walked over to me, her hands shaking.

'How could you?' she hissed. 'Bringing a thing like that onto our lands! I would be surprised if the Elders stoned to you to death for this.'

I had to keep my calm. 'Leah, you need to calm down.'

'I will not fucking calm down Sam! My father died hunting _things _like her!' I could see tears welling up in her eyes, and for a person who showed little emotion, I could see how angry she truly was.

'Leah,' I reached out to try and calm her down, but she hit my hand away from her.

'You better have a good reason for this Sam. A damn good reason' She spat before running off in the other direction. I exhaled to myself.

How could I truly give a reason for bringing her back here? Part of me wanted to kill her and fulfil part of my whole existence, but on the other hand, was it worth losing a pack member in the process? I shook my head, and opened the door where I saw all of the Elders sat.

* * *

'Sam, you better have a good reason for all of this. Bringing a vampire onto the Reservation? You do realise that your actions may have put everybody in danger.' Old Quil barked at me.

I stood there with my arms folded across my chest, leant against the wall. I was certainly outnumbered here; the Elders had taken this matter very seriously which meant that they were ALL here. Even Sue Clearwater, but that was because she had taken up Harry's place.

'Seriously Sam. You're the Alpha. What were you thinking?' Billy questioned me.

I unfolded my arms and looked at Billy. 'Billy, I know you must think I'm crazy-'

'You're damn right I do!' Billy raised his voice interupting my speech. 'You seem to have forgotten the reason and purpose of _your _existence. This girl you found is a vampire. That makes her the enemy.'

If there is one thing I have discovered in my whole time of being a werewolf, it is this. Everybody has the tendency of being a little hypocritical now and again, and right now, Billy Black was being the biggest hypocrite.

'Were vampires the enemy a few weeks ago?' I raised my own voice this time. 'Where they the enemy when we were fighting the newborns? Was Carlisle Cullen an enemy when he fixed Jacob, Billy?'

I saw Billy's eyes and I knew he understood that what I was saying was right.

'Look, Emily is examining her as speak. She has her phone, and Jacob is with her.'

'Jake's with her?' Billy questioned.

I wanted to tell Billy the truth, I really did. But I couldn't. Not yet. I needed to speak with Jake properly before any exposure was to occur. Besides, I didn't want to give Billy a heart attack.

'Yes, I sent him with her for protection, in case the vampire wakes up or anything.'

Suddenly the Clearwater's phone rang. Sue got up to answer.

'Hello? Yes, hang on,' Sue paused handing me the cordless phone. 'It's Emily.'

I grabbed the phone placing it to my ear. 'Hey, is everything alright?'

'I think you should get over here now.' Emily's voice echoed in my ear. She didn't sound scared, but I knew that she must have found something.

'I'm on my way.' I pushed the end call button on the phone and looked up at Billy.

'I'll give you a full report in the morning. I suggest you all stay here for the night. We'll deal with her from here.' I handed the phone back to Sue and exited the Clearwater's house and headed straight for my house.

* * *

The door was already open when I arrived and Seth, Jared , Quil and Embry were all downstairs. They all got up as I walked inside. I marched upstairs and opened the bedroom door. Emily and Kim were stood up hovering over the bed. Jake was sat on a chair which he had pushed up close to the bed. His eyes didn't remove from the girl who was laying sideways across the bed half naked.

Emily looked up at me. I walked over kissing her on the forehead. 'What did you find?' I asked

'Look' Emily pointed to the girl's body.

I leant over to see multiple bruises that were dotted across her body. But that was not the shocking part. As she was leant on her side, she had deep scars imprinted into her back. These must have been caused from serious attacks.

'What caused these?' I questioned curiously.

'We don't know. But vampires _don't scar_ Sam.' Emily whispered.

I was confused. 'But she has the crescent scar on her neck. She has to be a _vampire_.'

Emily and Kim exchanged glances. 'We're not denying that,' Emily paused. 'But how many vampires do you that have a pulse?'

I felt as though somebody had punched my in the chest. 'What?'

Emily grabbed my hand and placed two fingers against the girls' cold wrist. True to words, there it was. It was faint, but it was a pulse nonetheless.

'Impossible.'

'Apparently not.' Emily replied, stroking the girl's hair. 'I think this girl is still human.'

I paced away from the bed and I ran my finger through my hair. I had no idea what to think. Any thought I had contradicted the other. I was pacing fast now. I needed some sort of idea about what the hell this was. Nothing. I had _nothing._

I saw that the girl's backpack had been removed and was now on the dressing table. I grabbed it and felt it. It was not too heavy. I smelt the bag, and it definitely smelled like vampires; but not vampire I was familiar with. I opened the bag and began searching through its content.

There were files, documents, a cell phone and cash.

I shouted downstairs to Seth.

Seth was at the top of the stairs in an instant. 'Seth, I want you to look through this,' I handed him the bag and all its content. 'I want you to find anything that tells us _who_ she is.'

Seth nodded taking the backpack.

I turned back to Jacob. 'I'm taking Paul with me to patrol the perimeter. Jake, I want you to take the guys and go back to your place. You're taking her back to yours and you'll guard her there until morning.'

Jake nodded before grabbing my arm. 'Is she going to be okay?'

I saw the look of fear in his eyes. I couldn't make any promises, mainly because I had no idea about the outcome of this. Nobody could predict this. I guess, when it came to reality, there was not anything I didn't believe in now. I lived in a world of shapeshifters and vampires. Who knows what else is living among us that we have yet to discover. Well , one thing was for certain; this girl was certainly a discovery.

As Jake held the girl close to his body as he carried her back to his house, I saw the look in his eyes. He had hardly spoken a word the whole night. Everything he felt was seen in his eyes. I knew what it was because it was the same look that I had. It was the same look I had when I had _imprinted_ on Emily. The look I had after I had hurt Emily. The same look that I had when I had to watch Emily in pain. I was in no doubt whatsoever that Jacob Black had _imprinted_ on this girl.

This was something even I didn't want to think about.

_The joys of being an Alpha? _

_Yeah, being the bearer of bad news. _


	6. Chapter Four

**TOTO, I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN KANSAS ANYMORE.**

_I awoke to many things; far too many for my head to process._

**1) I couldn't feel much – my body seemed numb for some reason.**

**2) I could smell _that scent_ – that same scent that I smelt right before when I was running through the forest. To be honest, it was burning my nose and throat, killing me slowly, intoxicating my whole body.**

**3) I could hear voices in the distance – _many voices_. I couldn't make them all out; they were talking, no, shouting way to fast for me to concentrate on just one of them.**

**4) My mind was fogged; it was clouded over and I could barely hear myself think never mind _see _anything else.**

One thing I was almost certain about was that my senses were in overload.

I could feel the strain on my eyes as I tried to open them. They blinked about a million times in a fraction of second and before I knew it, my vision was seemingly okay however not up to my usual standard. My vision was generally perfect – but not today. I looked up towards the ceiling and rolled my eyes attempting to gain any more of my vision back. It didn't help.

For some unknown reason, there was annoying voice in the back of my head that said: _Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore_.

No fucking shit Sherlock.

My mouth was dry; I was hungry, _thirsty_. This was bad. I hadn't hunted in nearly three weeks, and yet I had killed off a gang of rowdy men just a few hours ago and not drank their blood. I had felt my self control slipping, but I overcame it. It didn't excuse me from what I had done though. Killing people was against what I believed in; regardless of the motive. I guess, I'm hypocritical in a way seeing as I have killed many humans in my lifetime, but I regretted every single life I took. Some didn't. Demetri and the others didn't care about the value of human life. To them, it was worthless. They had a theory that humans owed them _something, _almost like they had something to answer for. It was true; to them humans existed to fulfill their greatest desire. Their thirst for blood.

My rage built again as I laid there staring at the ceiling. My mind was confused and my cravings were getting caught up in this mess I was currently in. _I wasn't thirsty_. It was all in my head. I had to keep convincing myself of that.

Another thing I was certain about was that the smell wasn't helping my craving, nor was it dying down. That sickly strong _cinnamon _smell that I adored– I felt enveloped in it, like I couldn't escape it. Everywhere around me the scent lingered. _What was wrong with me?_ My mouth pooled with venom at the very scent. I swallowed it hungrily, shaking my head as I did. I needed to control myself. I had gotten myself into this mess, so I had to get myself out. I knew that the statement I had just made, was easier said that done. The whole room was drowning in this scent and I was the soul dying away amongst it. It was killing me to be in this room.

I was slowly beginning to regain my vision slightly, but it was still not as good as it should be. I took the opportunity to look around the room. I analysed the room in less than a three seconds and slowly, a visual entered my head.

_Male._

_Blood that smells like cinnamon._

_My blood match…_

Fuck. Lets not go there.

The voices had died down slightly; I could still hear them, but I had no interest in what they were saying – my mind was too involved in its own problems to even consider what those voices were discussing. Some kind of heated debate from what I could tell. _What did it matter? _I wasn't going to stick around very long.

I pulled back the covers that were draping off my body. I kicked them to the ground, causing me to hiss in pain. Not so much pain, but my body just ached. I looked down at my body. Okay something was not right. Not only was I not wearing my own clothes, but I was wearing somebody else's' clothes. Well, if you call an oversized baseball t-shirt wearing _something._ I stared down at the t-shirt and grabbed the hem. I carefully lifted it over my body revealing my stomach.

Bruises?

I could see the little spots dotted around my body in yellow-ish circles. I knew why they were there, and it was not because I had been hurt. They were not the only marks I had. I traced along my hip bone where there were long scars leading up towards my back. I heart dropped a little at the sickening thought of how I'd received them. I closed my eyes, shaking away the images that had formed in my head. There were just some scars that never faded. I pulled the t-shirt back over my body. I felt like a walking tent in this top.

I managed to sit up, despite biting on my lip and cursing in my head. I stood up gingerly, my legs felt a little weak but I knew once I started walking around I would be fighting fit. The room was not the biggest room in the existence, but it wasn't tiny. The little camp bed where I had been asleep in was tucked into the corner near the window. To the right of the bed there was a small cupboard. There was a desk near the door which was covered in bits and bobs. As I walked, I took time to admire the room despite the scent that still kept hitting my nose like a truck on a slippy motorway. He was a sports fan whoever he was; baseball, football (which in America I knew to be called 'soccer') and another sport which I wasn't familiar with. He had a small selection of pictures on his wall near the desk. I scanned my eyes across the photographs despite them still be being slightly off key. One picture caught my eye immediately – I wasn't sure why but it just stood out. A picture of a boy and a girl. The boy had long hair and his skin was a dark russet colour; well darker than my own which didn't take much. He had a beautiful smile, and I was sure this was the guy whose room this was. Next to him stood a girl, dark hair and pale skin – completely contrasting to the boy beside her. She looked_ familiar_. I knew this girl, I had seen her before. It couldn't be…

As I recollected an image in my head, it was quickly interupted by another. It was cancelled out by new image. A _very_ clear image. My hearing was keen but my head was far quicker. One thing I knew was that somebody was heading for this room.

_I needed to get out of here._

Whoever this person was he was the reason for the stench that lingered on my body clinging to it and I needed to be rid of it as soon as possible. The radar in my head was sending all kinds of signals; one of them being to get out. I had fifteen seconds. I limbed across the room, heading in the direction of the window. I didn't truly care for the fact that I was only wearing a long t-shirt that barely came up to my knees anymore. I pulled open the curtains and saw the condensation and droplets of water run down the window pane. I stopped suddenly, thinking of an alternative plan. I considered it.

They won't even feel it. It will be quick and painless.

Only three words ran through my head.

_Blood. Heartbeat. Pulse._

My mouth was still dry – that could be changed in ten seconds if I chose to go with my mental instincts. _Kill him quick_ one half of my brain said. I didn't want to listen to it. Physically my body was denying my craving. The pull placed on my body restricted me once again and it was getting more powerful the closer it got.

_Fuck it._ I balled my hand into a fist and smashed the window clean through. I wish I could have said the same thing about my hand. Strong I may be, but it didn't stop me bleeding from time to time. In my knuckles were small shards of glass. I winced, but it to the back of my mind. My eyes blinked, ignoring my own scent of blood as I began to move my body towards the smashed glass. Having shoes would have been good about now. I was trying to avoid having anymore glass in my body so I tried to push it to one side on the floor so I could somehow escape via the window.

I heard a voice shout but I didn't tune in enough to care.

_Get out now _I told myself. I reached for the window, grabbing the frame with my good hand and trying to lift myself out without inflicting any further damage to myself.

As if on cue, the door to the bedroom opened and I didn't even need to turn around as the scent swamped the room once more. I halted – the pull on my body dominated my move. I felt my eyes flicker, and I sensed that they had changed colour. My mouth pooled with venom. _I had to do it._ If I had any chance of getting away I needed to strike. His blood was calling my name, singing to me. It wanted me to drink it. His blood was the reason for my entire existence. My eyes flickered with thirst and I turned my body to face my victim.

Looking upon the face of my so-called victim, I felt as though my life ended right there in that moment. It was a feeling that I could not describe. All I could do was stand there and pray that my life wouldn't be a cruel to me as it was being in this moment.

That was the moment when I heard somebody outside shouting _"Jake."_


	7. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer-** I own NOTHING because Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

**POV **- Jacob ;) - I love writing in Jacob POV.

PLEASE REVIEW otherwise I won't update, and that's a shame because the story is uploaded and waiting :)

* * *

August 14th, 2006

**DEATH IS ANOTHER COUNTRY. I JUST HOPE THAT IT IS BETTER THAN THIS ONE.**

_Fat chance of the happening._

I sat myself down. It was the first time I had actually sat down for nearly twenty four hours. I could never get used to this job. _Protector. _I can't even protect myself at times.

I ran my fingers through my messy hair. God, I was a mess.

A_ huge_ mess.

I looked at the table where Quil and Embry were seated. Quil was nearly falling asleep and Embry was circling his mug of coffee with his fingertip. Seth was asleep on the couch, curled up, snoring. Jared was leaned against the coffee table, his head balancing on the edge. Leah was stood by the window, glaring out of it. I could see her reflection in the glass and her eyes were like daggers.

"How long do we have to wait?" Leah spoke harshly.

I rubbed the back of my head. "We have to wait until Sam gets here. You know the rules Lee." I answered.

Leah huffed. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood for one of her tempers today. None of us were. Last night, well, apart from the wedding drama and male ego flying left right and centre, last night had been _unusual _for many reasons. Some reasons that I couldn't fully explain, no matter how hard I tried to find the words to say what I meant. No explanation would have been able to prepare the pack for what had happened to me last night. Just sitting here was _killing_ me. Literally.

I felt like piggy in the middle – one part of my soul was keeping me here, with my pack, with my family, meanwhile, the other part of soul, the part on which I had literally no control over, was pulling me in the other direction – along the corridor, into my room where _she_ was laid in my bed_. _

_My bed._

I shouldn't have left in there by herself. I sat there for half the morning sat beside her, watching her sleep, making sure her breathing was okay. She hadn't stirred once. It was like she dead; well, I guess in a sense, she was. The awkward part was having to undress her. That was when I was glad that Emily had brought Kim with her. It meant I didn't have to endure the discomfort of undressing her body for the _wrong _reasons. Standing outside had made me anxious waiting for them to clean her up and dress her. I was literally banging my hands against the door for Emily to let me back in. Still, Emily worked wonders I was grateful to her for that. She told me that she had no internal damage from she could tell, but she told me that she had a few bruises which had formed on her body and some scars along her back. The most painful truth was when Sam identified the scar on her neck. A crescent shaped scar just under her left ear. The same scar that Bella had on her wrist which immediately confirmed one thing. This girl had been bitten by a vampire. Whether or not she was a vampire, was something still under discussion.

I rubbed my temples. _Was she okay? Was she still breathing? Did she still smell of strawberries?_

I had been worried about her for the _entire _ten minutes I had been apart from her. That was when I knew that what had happened, well, what had _truly_ happened. I didn't see how it was possible. As I thought back, I never really ever could be certain that I had _imprinted_ on Bella. My feelings didn't feel quite like this. Maybe with Bella it had been a _tester. _This time, it was the _real deal_. I had most definitely, without a shadow of doubt _imprinted_ on this girl.

Nobody else knew of course. Embry, Quil, Jared, all of them, knew _nothing._ I think the only person who did know was Sam, but that was because he the Alpha and more perceptive than the other dimwits I associated with. Embry never knew what day it was half the time, so he was a safe bet at _never_ knowing my secret. The thing that worried me most was how long was this going to stay a secret. I was bound the give the game away soon enough and the pack never withheld secrets from each other. Even if I could keep it secret, that didn't mean that I wouldn't accidentally give it away in my thoughts when we phased.

Downside of being a wolf. _No damn privacy._

I still had to figure out what my dad was going to think of this whole thing. Thank goodness he had spent the night over at the Clearwaters. Luckily, Seth had followed his orders that Sam has given him. I was fully aware that Sam has called a meeting last night, but it was brief. The problem we as a pack had was that nobody knew the story. The full story about what happened last night. The only person who did was lying unconscious in my bed.

I didn't even want to think about what my dad was going to do when he found at that _she_ had stayed over in _our _house. He was going to freak out and he didn't even know the _half_ of it.

And he wasn't going to find out either.

I sighed heavily and banged my head against the table. Just as I place my forehead on the table, Leah slammed her hands on the wall causing both Seth to fall of the couch onto Jared, Embry to spill his mug of coffee and Quil to bang his head on the table waking him up.

"Jesus Leah! What the fuck?" Quil cursed.

"He's here." she said through gritted teeth. "_Finally._ As if we don't have better things to be doing."

_Funny how she never referred to him as Sam._

"It's not as if you have to be here Leah." I answered sharply.

"What, and miss all the fun of you being bollocked by Sam? No chance." She sniggered, moving away from the window, placing herself against the wall awaiting Sam.

"She's just sad because it not her for once." Jared stirred, pushing Seth off him. Seth howled lightly.

Within seconds, Sam entered through my front door, followed by Paul. _Why did he have to bring Paul? Oh yeah, because he's part of the pack. _For a few seconds none of said anything. _What could we say?_ None of us truly knew what to make of the situation. Paul made himself comfortable next to Quil, much to his dislike. I didn't even need to read Quil's thoughts. His face said it all. I glanced over at Sam. I decided I should probably make the first move.

"Sam listen—" I began.

"Allow me to speak first." Sam interrupted. 'I have a few things I wish to say.'

I nodded, stepping back.

"Right, now you all know what happened last night and I must say, that I won't start on a bad note. Everyone followed their orders and I thank you all for that."

I inhaled deeply. _All except me. _

"Which is why I am sorry that we all have to carry this burden—"

"Burden? I would call it a_ lot more _than that." Leah scoffed, interupting.

Sam growled. "Leah, now is not the time to start judging. Jacob knows what he did. He carries most blame," He turned to face me. My eyes met with his. "You should have called us the instant you smelt anything unusual." He didn't sound angry, just disappointed. That made me feel worse.

"I'm sorry Sam." I apologised, geniunely.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Jake. The whole pack could have been put in danger, not to mention our families and the residents in La Push and surrounding areas. How could you be so _selfish?" _Paul's deep voice made itself heard.

'Well Sam is no better! It was his decision to bring her back AND let her stay on our lands!' Leah hissed, her eyes narrowed glaring at Sam.

Sam stared back at Leah. She wasn't going to back down. 'I understand that you are pissed Leah-'

'Don't even get me started. Or did I not make my feelings clear to you last night?' Leah stepped forward, her hands balled into fists.

'_You_ have feelings Leah?' Embry joked, to which Sam hit round the back of the head, causing him to spill his coffee even more. I shook my head. Embry should learn to keep his mouth shut.

'Look, I made the decision, based on what is best for the pack, and for our families-,' I heard Leah slam her hand against the wall, but decided, like everybody, else to ignore her. Once again, her amateur dramatics were on show. '- regardless of what all of you may think, killing her would not have helped us. She's _different _to any of the other vampires we have come into contact with, therefore, we need to try and communicate with her, find out what she knows. If she is part of another breed of vampire, we need to know, for our own protection, how many there are and where they are. They could pose as a threat to our whole existence, but then again, she may prove be harmless. That is what we need to know.'

I sighed. To me, the thought that she could be a threat to my family was something I didn't wanna think about right now. It would seriously complicate things more than they already were.

'So the reason she's here, is because you seem to have some sort of fascination with her?' Quil piped up for the first time since Sam arrived.

'Like I said,' Sam replied, his eyes widened as he looked over at me as he did. 'She's different.' I saw Sam grit his teeth together. I knew this was hard for him, but I saw what he was doing. He was trying to protect me and my secret. But he wasn't completely lying. She was different and we did need to talk to her and see what she could tell us.

"Look guys. I should apologise for going after her. I thought I could handle the situation. I was just hotheaded from the whole wedding thing and with Cul—" I stopped. _I couldn't even bring myself to mention his name. Even his last name was venomous to me. _

Sam sighed. This time, he wasn't going to defend me. He was going to grill me,which seemed fair, otherwise the pack would get suspicious about why he had not given me a hard time for not following pack codes. "Jake, you cannot keep blaming _that Cullen_ for your foolish actions. It's not fair on the pack and it's not fair on you. Imagine if you had been killed. Did you ever think how that might us a pack?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to think of a clever answer. "Well you're the Alpha. You can always find another Beta." I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

Everybody exhaled.

"Maybe," Sam paused. "But Billy can't just go out and find a new son Jake. I know that you are hurting but going out there and getting yourself killed won't help the situation. One mistake is all it takes."

My tolerance levels were lessening slightly. "Okay, I'm sorry. Jesus! What do you want me do? Get down on all fours and plead forgiveness?"

Leah scoffed once more. "Yeah, that's something you don't need to _phase_ for." Leah chipped in sarcastically.

"Shut it Leah." Sam silenced her. She rolled her eyes and moved back over to the window. I turned away from the pack and placed my hands behind head. I paced for a few moments.

Paul chirped up again. _Damn, I hate his voice sometimes_. No, sorry, ALL the time.

"Look, we need to make a decision, as a pack, about what we are going to do here—"

I spun around to face him, removing my hands from behind my head and putting them on the breakfast table. "Decision? Decision about what?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"About what we do about that _thing_ through there." He towards my bedroom.

"She's not a threat Paul." I replied as calmly as I could.

"I don't think anybody is in a position to say what she is and what she isn't mate." Paul sneered. 'You heard Sam, we need to get her talking, figure out what her game plan is.'

_Okay, tolerance levels lessening even more. Stupid Paul. _

"What's that supposed to mean?"I snapped.

Everybody started rambling into the argument and I suddenly felt that pull on my body again.

"HEY! Will you guys keep it down?" I shouted. _I didn't want her waking up to shouting_.

"Yeah, do you want that _leech _to be listening in?" Paul hissed.

"Look Paul. Don't call her that." I said surprisingly calm.

"_Her?_ Since when did you become a _leech-lover_ Jake?" He mocked. _He had no idea._

'I'm not.' I hissed back at him, gritting my teeth. 'But that doesn't give you the right to label her. She has a beating heart, so therefore that puts her in a different category altogether.'

"Jake's right. Some of us don't have a problem with _vampires _remember?" Seth spoke out, walking over to stand by my side. It was nice having one person on my side.

"Some of us aren't naive idiots Seth." Paul scoffed back.

"Hey don't call my brother that Paul you ignorant jerk!" Leah stepped in moving to stand next to Seth. "I don't like that _thing _through there any more than you do, but don't talk down to my brother like that."

_Go Leah! _

_Wait hang on—_

"So has anybody got any rational ways in which we can deal with this?" Embry spoke.

"I say we finish her off ourselves. We don't want a_ freak_ in these parts. " Paul hissed.

"What did you just call her?" I asked, half angry, half confused.

"Well she's not what we would call _normal_ is she Jake?"

"You can say that again." Leah smirked.

"And what you think _we are_?" I raged.

"That's not what I meant. We're _genetic_, she isn't. She was changed to be that way which therefore means she decided her own fate. She should deal with that."

"Or maybe she didn't have a say? _Ever think about that?" _I snapped once more, getting closer to Paul. I felt Seth tug at my sleeve, urging me to refrain.

"Stop it! This is what _she _wants. All of us to be fighting over her fate." Leah said, trying to gain a bit of dominance.

"It's not our decision to decide her fate. You know that as well as I do." Sam spoke, calming his pack, however indicating his words at both Paul and myself. I exhaled deeply. I wanted to _kill _Paul. I had never felt that way about one of my brothers.

Seth spoke up. "I still think we need a second opinion."

"Like who?" Sam questioned.

_What did Seth have in mind? _

"I think we should talk to the Cullens." Seth answered, his voice lowering slightly. The pack broke out into rabble again.

"What would need to talk to those _moronic bloodsuckers_ for?" Leah responded to her brother.

"Maybe they can help?" Seth continued.

"Yeah, maybe they'll help us finish her off." Paul sniggered.

_That was it. My tolerance time bomb went off in that second. I lunged at him without a second thought._

"Easy there Jake." This time, Sam stood in front of Paul, pushing me back. Paul backed off, raising his palms in surrender with a giant smirk on his face. "Jake what the fuck is wrong with you? Jesus! Talk about manic wolf temper, you are hitting a whole new level today mate."

I growled at him. He growled back.

"Okay guys, just cut it out already! Imagine if the _Elders_ were here now, would you behave like this in front of them? Well would you?" Sam questioned. "Now, Seth continue."

"Well maybe we have it all wrong. She's obviously not a full human, but she has a beating heart and a pulse and she bruises body. None of us can deny that can we?"

Everybody shook their heads. _We had all witnessed it. Not even Paul nor Leah could deny it. If they did, they were looking for early graves. _

"We all know that vampires heal, just like we do, so they don't get scars. This girl had three giant scars down her back. If she was a full vampire, then that would not be possible. So, maybe there is an explanation for it." Seth concluded.

"Seth, listen mate, if she isn't a vampire and she isn't a human, then she ain't right. She needs to be _destroyed._ God knows how many things like her are roaming about, breeding and killing. If she was a vampire, fair enough, she is just _one form_, but divided, she can't be safe." Embry said.

I raged again. "How do you know that?"

"Jake come on! You cannot be serious." Paul chipped in, once again.

"Well she isn't an _immortal child_. Otherwise, she would be well—" Jared began.

"A child?" Quil sniggered. _Ironic._

"And she _definitely wasn't a child_." Jared smirked.

_I didn't even want to know what was going through his head for the fear that I might kill him. _

Jared continued. "Well I never thought I would say this, but agree with Jake and Sam. We shouldn't just kill her, because where's the logic in that? We should find out what she is before we do anything rash. And I think she owes us an explanation. We should grant her that much. It's the least she deserves. And I think Seth's right. We may need the Cullens on this one."

"I'm not going to them. You do this, you do this by yourself. I am not stepping a foot onto their ground." Leah hissed.

"Who wanted you to come anyway?" I snapped. She snarled at me before turning away.

"I agree with Leah," Paul spoke again. " Hey, here's an idea. Why don't we take her back to woods and lay her down as a trap to lure those other leeches back in then BAM! We take them out as well?"

My hands gripped the table, pulling off the edge. I threw it to the ground whilst everyone gawped at me. "Be thankful its not your neck Paul." I spoke dangerously. _I wasn't even trying to keep myself calm. _

Paul sniggered. "God Jake. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in love with that mons-"

Before I had time to react, Sam quickly intervened. "Paul, I think its time for us to go control the perimeter. Make sure whatever was tracking her doesn't come back."

_Thank god for Sam. Truly a life saver. _

"Sure whatever Sam." Paul got off the stool giving me a dead eye before walking over to the door.

"This is the new plan. Jake's in charge of her, so you do as he tells you,' Sam smiled weakly standing by the door. 'I promised the Elders I would give a full report this morning, but seeing as she is still unconscious, I won't be able to tell them anything just yet. As soon as she wakes up, try and communicate with her and alert me as soon as you can. You have my permission to take her to the Cullens, and we'll meet you there to discuss this.'

"Sure thing." I mumbled. Sam nodded at me, before closing the door.

"Well I guess that's it then. Come on Seth, let's get home before Mom freaks out about where we've been." Leah moaned.

"Actually Lee, I might stay here for a bit, if that's okay." Seth answered.

"Suits me fine. _Leech-lovers_ should stick together, right Jakey?" she mocked.

I snuffed her prescence and turned away from her. "Haven't you got an appointment with a cliff and a long drop into a vast sea?"

"Come up with a new one Black." She slammed the door so hard on the way out it was a miracle it stayed on the hinges. _The bitch has spoken. _

I swallowed hard as I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "You want some breakfast Jake? Some tea or coffee maybe?" Seth asked politely.

"Erm..actually I was thinking I might go check up on_ her_ and erm…try to get some sleep. I'll kip in my dad's room if I get too tired. Make yourselves at home. Just don't eat my dad out of the house because he is going to be pissed with me as it is without having to do another supermarket trip for you lot."

Seth smiled uneasily. I had the feeling Seth wanted to tell me something but I was in no mood or state to comprehend anything he said to me. Only one thought was going through my head and that was her.

_I knew had to do whatever I could to save her. I didn't care what she was or what she wasn't. I could go back on what I had done._

I began to walk down the corridor when I heard a smash come from my room.

A window?

_Shit. _

"What's going on Jake?" I heard Seth shout.

"You stay there Seth. Tell Embry and Quil to stand outside and guard the front door." I yelled back.

If anybody had spoken any words to me after that point I didn't hear them. I raced down the corridor of my house and towards my bedroom. I grabbed the doorknob, nearly taking the door off the hinges.

I saw her stood there, her body half leaning out of the window. Smashed glass everywhere. The smell of blood tickled my nose. I watched as her body hesitated. Her pulse was faster than last night, but she wasn't scared. It was more like a warning to me. I sensed it straight away. Her body turned to face me. As if I could control my pull usually, my pull as tighter to her than ever; even with her stood there, half naked with her hair messy, pale skin and blood dripping down her arm, she looked beautiful to me. My eyes met with hers and for the first time, my life felt almost complete.

I used to think if Death was another country it had to be better than this one.

I was _wrong_. I liked this country much better.

My mind was interrupted by the sound of Embry's voice calling my name "_Jake!"_ He couldn't have picked a worse time.

_I guess that's werewolves for you. _


	8. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER:**

I own nothing to do with Twilight. Although I do own a pair of Jacob's boxers which I do not intend on giving back ;)

* * *

**OH GREAT. WE'VE GOT OURSELVES A COMEDIAN**.

_Comedy and potential meal don't go well together._

There _he_ stood.

My knight in shining armor, my savior, my _blood _buddy. _Yeah so much for the finding the everyday soul mate. _

The pull on my body was stronger than ever; I was still confused as to what it was. I felt like some sort of a mental and physical control over my body – I was wondering whether he could feel it too. _Then again, w__hy would he?_ I was a wreck in a bad state on mind and lacking self control at the present time. _I was dangerous._ He didn't seem scared of me though. If anything, he seemed more frightened of the concept of me jumping out of this window. And then I saw him glance down to me hand where it was the blood was beginning to clot. His eyes widened.

"Just come away from the window and I promise I won't hurt you." He spoke gently, his husky voice was not all intimidating in comparison to his frame.

_Jeez, I've heard that one before. What was this some sort of teen horror film? Well, now that I thought about it, it was close enough. More importantly what was he going to do if I didn't come away from the window? Throw me through it himself? I could save him so much time if he let me go myself. _

He stepped forward slightly, which instinctively made me back off closer to the window standing on some of the small shards of glass. He knew he wasn't going to get my trust this way. To be fair, he wasn't the type of guy you would pick a fight with. Physically he must have stood at least six foot six, maybe six seven. Once thing I noticed instantly was that he was _stunning_; his beautiful russet skin was a total contrast to mine if we had been placed next to each other. It was almost like it glittered in the sun – the sun seemed to enhance his already natural beauty. His jet black ruffled hair complimented him well – bed hair seemed to be working for him.

_For me, not so much._ I brought my hand up to my own hair – it was tangled and dirty. He flinched at the sign of my movement. His equally dark eyes were penetrating. I felt myself get lost in them, I wanted to look away but I couldn't seem to pull my glance away from him. He wasn't backing down either. At least I knew one thing – he _was _the guy from the photo, except he had changed. His hair was shorter and more messy and his body and face structure was more flawless and well built.

A wicked thought echoed my mind. I bet he _tasted _as great as he _looked _and _smelled-_-

_Okay, I had to stop thinking about him like that. _

He was a total stranger.

He was a human.

He was a _potential _meal in my current circumstance. This whole thing was doing wonders for my thirst.

I took a deep breath and moved away from the window slowly. The boy watched me and his eyes were watchful, cautious. Some very shy offers lay on my table:

**a)I could bite the boy and run for it.**

**b)I could bite the boy, drain his body and run for it.**

**c)I could just jump through the window and pray that I would be far quicker than he was.**

**d) **_**Shit.**_** I ran out of options.**

I needed a wider perspective. I started to mentally weigh out my options. I could try and get out of here and not leave a mess behind, but somehow, hunting down a five foot seven hybrid with auburn hair dressed in what appeared to be the shortest dress in existence, would not have been particularly hard for the local authorities. However, unless he could run as fast as I could, he would probably never catch me.

_Do I risk it and find out?_

The only thing I had to take into consideration was the young boy in the house and the two lackeys outside who I saw very clearly inside this guys head. There was no need for them to get caught up in this unless they all had a decent death wish.

The boy continued to stare at me – it was a weird kind of look. It wasn't threatening; it was more of reasoning. My body just froze; my mind seemed to be the only thing that had any life left, and even I was beginning to question that now. I eyed him up and down. I could hear his heart beating away. It made me thirsty just listening to it, so I tried to tune out and concentrated on his voice. His voice surely couldn't make me want to kill him. _Wrong. _

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke again. Why _did he have to sound so calm? _I wasn't calm and if he had any sense at all, now was certainly not a good situation for him to be calm in. His attitude made him all the more desirable to me.

"Please, just come over here away from the window and we can talk about this." He assured me.

I wasn't buying it. _Talk about what? What he would go better with? White bread or brown? White wine or Rose? _

_Jesus. Fuck this. Option A it is._

I nodded my head trustingly and I saw a look of relief flash across his deep hazel eyes. I steadied my pace towards him. I instantly felt the heat his body gave off. It was amazing how my body didn't seem so cool anymore. His energy was burning me – it was like it was molding itself into my body - there was no way human body temperature was ever that high. Medically, he would be dead running on a temperature that high!

_Was he sick? Was he okay? Shit, why was I asking myself this? Why should I care? _

He half smiled as I approached him, my body seemed so ready to pounce on him. I was luring him into a false sense of security. My eyes quickly scanned over his body, checking for a pulse. I needed to know where to bite him, so I that I would cause the least pain that I possibly could and also that I wouldn't end up draining his body. It was a good job I could control my venom production.

I didn't want to hurt him – well, I didn't want to _kill _him. That was _partially debatable. _It took me half a second. His left forearm was looking like a good place to attack. As soon as his eyes swayed from for two seconds, I leant in quickly, biting his forearm, however not sinking my fangs in. I knew how that would end up and it was something I wanted to avoid. I heard him curse under his breath and I sprinted trying to make it to the door. I wasn't aware of how fast he was. He caught up to me within a second. I felt pain as I reached for the door handle.

_Ultimate fail. Well done_.

"_Shit,_" I hissed, gripping my waist where most of the aching was occuring. The heat radiated my body once again and the scent was as strong as ever. His skin placed itself onto my 'good' arm. Jesus, he really was _hot_ (no pun intended) and I moved my arm away in response.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" He bent down to meet his eyes with mine. _Oh dear lord, my eyes._ I blinked them shut, shielding my contact away from him. He couldn't see my eyes like this. Thirsty eyes were not the most attractive. I pulled away from him, despite the strain on my body by doing that. I moved over to his bed and sat down. He followed me. _A few moments of silence. Awkward. _

I stared down at my right hand, which still had small shards of glass embedded into the knuckles. I used my left hand to begin to remove a big shard.

"Do you speak English?" he asked gently. I didn't look up at him. I couldn't give myself away.

_Well, it was a bit late now; I had just bit the boy's arm. Honestly. What was I thinking? _

_Oh that's right. I wasn't. _

"Do you speak English?" He repeated once again. Maybe the reason I ignored him was because I wanted to hear his voice again.

"Yes," I paused. "As well as _German, French, Spanish and Italian._" I smirked, looking up at him.

He seemed shocked. _What was he expecting? _

"Impressive." The boy smiled.

_Oh that smile._

"Isn't it just?" I sighed unconvinced by my own words. I accented my words carefully, trying not to slip up.

"You have a lovely accent." The boy complimented me. I felt my cheeks flush a lovely crimson glow. _Great great great. Now, he was making me blush. Get a grip!_

"Thank you." I answered. _My English accent had suddenly become even more obvious to me now. _I hid my face, trying not to make any eye contact with him still.

"Sorry for being rude. I'm Jacob. Jacob Black." He held out his hand. I hesitated, but eventually my hand made contact with his. His warm skin made my own skin sink into his. It felt nice; I couldn't describe the feeling. I saw him respond to my temperature, but he didn't pull away.

"Well Jacob _Jacob_ Black," I replied sarcastically. "I'm Anais. Anais Volt—"I had to cut myself off._ I couldn't introduce myself as that anymore_.

"_De Lancey_. Anais De Lancey. But you can call me Anna."

Jacob gave a shy laugh. _'De Lancey_?' I loved the way he tried to pronounce it.

'Yes. It's French.' I replied, hissing as I removed another bloody shard of glass.

'So you're from France?' Jacob asked.

It would have been so obvious to have gone _'DUH!'_ at this moment, but he was only partly correct. I had not spent _all_ of my life in France.

'Sort of. My mother was French and my father was English.'

'Ah I see' He replied.

_Pull. _

I looked up at Jacob and gave a small smile. He returned it. _Burn in my stomach. I felt like jelloid. His smile was certainly something. _

We remained in silence for a few moments before he decided to break it. "Well anyway. I hoped you weren't going to take off, but if you insist then I would be disappointed to see you go."

I sensed there was a look of shock on my face. "And why's that?"

Jacob smirked seductively yet comically at the same time before eyeing me up and down. "That's my _favourite_ shirt you're wearing."

_Oh great. We have ourselves a comedian. _

I looked down. Ah, hence the strong smell. _Perfect excuse to rid of it now. _"Well here have it back." I began to start taking it off using my left hand, and I sensed his eyes widen.

His heart rate doubled. "No, no it's okay," He spoke quickly, placing his hands over mine and pulling the top back down. "Just keep it on, _for now_." I took in a deep bad idea. _Cinnamon. Blood. _I was suddenly aware that his hand was bleeding from when I had bit him. _Why hadn't I noticed that before? He was clearly a good distracter. _

"Shouldn't you do something about your hand?" I asked concerned. I wasn't concerned for him. I was concerned for me. The smell was appetizing. I was surprised I hadn't launched for him already. My mind was surprisingly calm and clear. Well, clearer than before. Before he arrived in the room, my head had been fogged.

"I'll heal." He smiled confidently, looking down at his injured hand.

"Not that quick." I scoffed trying to look away.

He raised his eyebrow at me. "You'd be surprised." He admired the cut I gave him like it was some trophy.

I moved anxiously on the bed and I managed to shuffle away from him."Well, I am sorry that I bit you."

_No I wasn't. _

_Well, I was. _

_Sort of. _

He laughed. "No worries." He seemed to brush this whole thing off like it was a joke.

_Why hadn't he questioned why I had bit him? Biting somebody is not a natural part of human nature. Well, it is if you have my nature but even still. He didn't know what I was…did he? _

His thoughts interrupted my own. "So, is there any reason why you decided to demolish my window and apparently... _your hand_? " Jacob asked, smiling his toothed grin, looking down at my bleeding hand. I had thrown quite a mean punch. I winced as I tried to move it. I knew I hadn't got all the glass out yet. I'd heal soon anyway so perhaps I didn't need to worry about to much. It would just mean another scar stamped on my body, but hey, why not add to the collection. I doubted I would survive very long, especially after escaping so luckily this time round.

All I could do was smile weakly and flutter my eyelashes at this handsome boy who I wanted to kill so badly. I was amazed by my control. What was stopping me? _Oh right, that pull, whatever it was, was the only thing stopping me. That, and being able to access part of his thinking which I had never been able to do in my life. My gift had always been an usual one, with the ability to come and go when it pleased, but for some reason, he gave me access to parts of person's mind I never believed I could. _There were so many questions I wanted answered and I sensed that he did too.

_And all I could think was 'Oh god. What had I gotten myself into here?'_

* * *

**So now you've met Anna :D Let the fun begin. **

**A/N: Anna's name is pronounced: A-NAY DE LARN-SAY. I love her last name, even though she NEARLY slipped up in front of Jake...**

REVIEWS WOULD BE LOVELY. Let me know what you think of Anna :)


	9. Chapter Seven

ALICE POV

**SOMETIMES, I THINK HAVING A CRYSTAL BALL WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER**

I could not see her anymore. It was a big blur to me now.

Nobody could comprehend how frustrating it had been for me to keep this hidden. _Especially from Edward_. Luckily the wedding has kept me busy, providing me with a motive to store this vision in the back of my mind, but even still I felt as though I was going to slip up at any moment. I had been having this vision for a long time, ever since we visited Italy last summer. As soon as I saw her, I saw her fate before me.

I saw the way she tried to protect Edward.

I saw how the Volturi reacted when she entered the room.

I saw how much misery hid behind those violet eyes, and it saddened me. I saddened me even more thinking about how much Bella and Edward were willing to die for each other.

This girl was special, unique... and the Volturi _knew_ that, and that's why they had kept her there for all of those decades. And if her husband had anything to answer for, I could see why she was so desperate to escape. I wished more than anything on that day that me and Bella went to save Edward, that we could have brought her back with us. However, Edward's answer to my thoughts indicated that that was never an option.

But that didn't discouurage me because as I stared into her eyes, I saw what she had planned, and I knew she had every intention of doing it soon.

After we left Italy, I tried to keep a tab on her decisions but she kept changing them. Then, I had the distraction of watching both Aro's and Victoria's decisions before the newborn fight which added pressure. I guess, I had lost my way a little after that. I found it hard to focus on her decisions because they were changing so rapidly.

But a week before the wedding, a spanner was thrown into the works.

I saw her decision and it was plain as day. I saw that she had left Volterra and she was planning to head over towards America. I couldn't tell anybody, not even Carlisle. Edward was too occupied with Bella and the wedding to care but I did ask Jas to distract Edward when I was around so I could try and focus on her path. It was hard to see where she was heading next. I lost her after she arrived in Canada.

I had nothing for days. Until yesterday of course. After the whole blow up between that _dog_ Jacob Black and Edward, Edward decided it was best that he and Bella left for their honeymoon, to which all parties agreed. As they were gathering their belongings, a vision hit me.

_She was here. _

I tried to focus on her path, but then the vision became blurry and after a while, it disappeared completely. I didn't feel like I contain it any longer but I knew I had to.I remember that I pulled Carlisle to one side and informed him after Bella and Edward left. He nodded warmly; I think deep down, Carlisle had an idea that I had been having secret visions behind Edward's back the whole timeI was just lucky that Edward had been distracted a lot over the past few months. I wasn't sure how he would react if he knew that there was a possibilty that Anna was returning. I knew the consequences of her decisions the last time she had been a member of our family, but Edward believed that my vision of her returning to the Volturi could be wrong; after all, my visions are subjective, and Anna could still have changed her mind. I guess we all knew how that story ended.

I gripped my head with my hands, getting frustrated once more. I knew she was here, but where the hell was she? I didn't understand how minute I saw her plain as day, but now, it was like she had disappeared off the face of the planet.

_And then it hit me. _

'She's with the wolves' I whispered to myself. I knew it. How ironic that they would get to her first.

And then, as if on cue. I heard Carlisle's phone ring from the kitchen. I knew who it was on the end of the line.

It was Jacob Black.


	10. Chapter Eight

JACOB POV

**AND HERE WAS ME THINKING I WOULD HAVE A SCAR TO SHOW THE GRAND-KIDS.**

_Yeah, talk about wishful thinking._

I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to break the silence. "Well anyway. I hoped you weren't going to take off, but if you insist then I would be disappointed to see you go." I saw the look of shock on her face, like she wasn't expecting me to say something as blunt.

"Why's that?" She asked.

I smirked as the thoughts rushed through my head. Not a single one them were anything that I could openly share. "That's my favourite shirt you're wearing."

_FUCK SAKE. Oh all the things I could have said. _

She looked down hesitantly. I wasn't lying. It really was my favourite shirt. _Even more so now that she was wearing it._ She looked amazing wearing my shirt, even it was three times too big for her.

"Well here have it back." She began to start taking it off, and my eyes widened.

_I had two options here_. First option, let her take it off and make love to her right there. First option - clearly was not going to happen. Second option it was. I would have to be content with that. My heart rate doubled as I caught a glance of her smooth skin on her stomach. "No, no it's okay," I spoke quickly, placing my hands over hers and pulling the top back down. "Just keep it on, for now." _Or not. Your choice. _

She seemed disappointed; either that or I may have just read her expression wrong. I had a knack for doing that a lot. That was why I was in the position I was now. I had been so keen on keeping her talking and staring at her bloodied right hand that I had forgotten entirely about my arm which was still bleeding. Apparently, _she_ hadn't.

"Shouldn't you do something about your hand?" She asked concerned, her dark eyes widened just be looking at it. I then saw her shy her head away. I had no idea how hard this may have been on her – the blood possibly may be an issue here. I moved my arm behind my back, trying to keep my injury as far away from her as possible.

"I'll heal." I smiled at her, trying to reassure her, while I assessed the damage inflicted on my arm. In all seriousness, she had a mean bite.

"Not that quick." She scoffed.

I raised my eyebrow at her."You'd be surprised." _If only she knew. _

I would heal quicker than anything she had ever met before. _Okay, I'll confess, being a werewolf had a few advantages. _I had to admire these little puncture marks she gave me because I knew it would not stick around long. I was disappointed that within an hour or so, this bite mark would be gone. I had hoped that I would be able to keep this as a scar to show the grandchildren. Can you imagine how that story would go?

_'The first time I met your mother, she gave me this' _

_Yeah, talk about wishful thinking. _

I watched as she moved anxiously on the bed shuffling away from me. She gave an innocent smile. She was just trying to protect herself, and me. "Well, I am sorry that I bit you." She said gently. Her voice was like music to my ears and her accent was driving me crazy.

I just laughed it off as I usually did in awkward situations such as these. Although to be fair, I had never been in a situation like this.

"No worries." I had to brush this whole thing off like it was a joke. I couldn't question her just yet. I knew why she had bitten me, it was part of her defense mechanism, but I had to ensure that she didn't know that we all suspected what she was. I had to play the dumb card. That shouldn't be so hard. I was a dumb seventeen year old wolf boy in love. _How much dumber could I become? _

"So, is there any reason why you decided to demolish my window? " I asked, smiling my toothed grin. God, I wish I knew what she thinking. It was driving me crazy not to be able to hear what thoughts were running through her little brain, especially when she paused to think like what she was doing now.

_Pull._

I watched her smile weakly and flutter my eyelashes at me. I felt my cheeks go crimson under my russet skin. This was not a position that I wanted to place myself in. Being seduced by _her._ Even if she wasn't fully aware of what she was doing, _I_ certainly was. I felt my stomach ache for her. It ached so bad and there was nothing I could do to satisfy it. Well, there was, but unless she was up for breaking my bed and smashing my room to pieces, I doubt she was going to agree to what I had in mind. My indecorous thoughts were halted by Anna's head lifting upright in the direction of the door.

"You have a visitor." she said calmly.

"I do-?"And then the door knocked. _Man, was she psychic? _I wouldn't put anything past this chick.

"Everything okay man?" Seth asked through the door. _Not the time Seth. _

"Everything is fine bro. Just you keep on doing whatever you're doing." I said kindly through the door.

" I was just going to head back to mine but Embry and Quil didn't want to leave you in case she tried to-"

I banged on the door. "Okay Seth, you just head home now, and tell Embry and Quil the same—"

"Well tell them yourselves because they are coming inside now. Bye Jake."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Urgh, seriously guys. Not the time. I finally had her awake and talking to me. I didn't want them to ruin it.

"Your friend?" she asked sweetly.

"More like an acquaintance." I replied cooly. She _smiled. I wish she smiled all the time._

Another knock.

"Jake man let us in!" I heard Quil's voice boom through the door.

I shook my head. "I am so sorry." I mouthed to her. She just rolled her eyes and smiled again. _Damn that smile should be a sin._ I watched as she pulled the t-shirt over her knees, covering herself.

I opened the door to my bedroom revealing my two best friends, who were not looking too happy.

"Okay what the fuck is going on Jake?' Quil pushed his way in pointing his finger at me, his face was clearly angry and it was not often that Quil gets angry. 'Did she try to escape—or—hello I am Quil Ateara." Quil realized that Anna was sat on my bed. Then he did something that even I didn't anticipate. He moved towards her and held out his hand.

"Hello." She answered but she didn't receive his hand, much to Quil's disappointment judging by the look on his face."It's a pleasure to meet you I'm sure." She continued.

"Ill say." I heard Embry mutter under his breath as he leant against my door frame. I growled lowly and Embry seemed to get the message as he slipped inside my bedroom. I felt the room get suddenly smaller; well, smaller than it already was.

"This is Embry," Quil continued pushing Embry forward. For the first time in my life, I believe I saw Embry blush.

"I'm Anna." She seemed a little more hesitant now as I saw her grip my quilt. I wasn't sure why but he last thing I wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable.

"Shit man! What happened to your hand?" Quil suddenly blurted out.

I looked at Anna and I saw her bring my quilt up towards her face like she was ashamed.

"Well—" I began.

"That's kind of my fault actually," Anna interrupted removing the covers from her face, looking a little embarassed.

"You bit him?" Embry spat. _I didn't like the tone that Embry had addressed her with. She didn't mean to bite me. Besides we could hardly talk. We were wolves for god sake._

_'_Hang on,' Quil intervened. 'If she bit you, how the hell are you NOT dead?'

That was a good question. I should be writhing in pain now, but yet I was still here, fit as a fiddle. I looked back over to Anna, seeking any kind of answer. Anna just stared back at me; her eyes never left mine. 'I can control my venom production. I only use my venom when I hunt, so my bite to you was harmless.'

'Sorry _vampire girl_, but have you seen Jake's arm?' Embry responded, pointing directly at my arm which now had dried up blood where she has bitten me. It looked a lot worse than it was.

"Embry leave it okay. It was accident." I urged, my eyes were still locked. with Anna's. Her eyes were flashing with all kinds of emotions. They were dark and looked more dilulated. If she was what I thought, dark eyes meant one thing. _Shit._

"Listen guys, I think you should go." I urged.

"But—" they both tried to protest but they had to leave if they wanted to live. I knew it was going to be hard to get them to leave, but I had to try.

"Trust me. Let's go." I signalled to Anna that I would be two minutes and I stepped outside the door, keeping it ajar so if she tried to escape again I would know. The pull on my body strained me, causing me to curse under my breath as I pulled Embry and Quil into a huddle at the top of the stairs, lowering my voice just enough so that they could hear me.

"Listen guys. Go to Sam and let him know that she is awake and that she is talking to me. I don't think that she is any danger to us—"

"Er hello? Embry's right! Have you not seen your arm?" Quil whispered back pointing towards my arm.

'It's fine. I'll heal. Besides, lets get back down to buisness. I need you to go to Sam and tell him that I am going to arrange a meeting with the Cullens as soon as possible. I don't think Carlisle will object it.'

'Nah, he's a good guy is Dr Fang, even if he is leech.' Quil spoke.

I nodded my head in agreement. Dr Fang was a good vampire, if you ever put those two words into a meaningful sentence.

"We'll follow orders Jake, but what if she tries to pull a fast one whilst we're gone?" Embry chipped in.

"Then I'll deal with it. I am already in enough shit with Sam so a little more won't hurt me. I have just got her to talk to me and you guys being here isn't helping her okay?" I felt like I was pleading with them. I sounded pathetic.

"Yeah, sure Jake. If you need us—"

"I know. Thanks guys. Just do as I ask please." They both nodded and made their way down the corridor. I heard my front door bang shut. I took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders trying to relax my body against the obvious pull that was drawing me back to my room. I didn't ignore it. I opened the door and she was still sat there, on my bed, her legs covered by my shirt. I could not help but think how breathtaking she was. I was beginning to sound and feel like one of those cheesy romance novels, except, I knew in my heart that romance novels had got it all wrong. There was no way I could ever put these feelings into words on a piece of paper.

As I looked deep into her eyes, they pieced me like a knife. I was drawn in by her eyes the most – I was having a hard time figuring out why. They were jet black now at this moment. I clear sign that something wasn't right. I saw discomfort in her face.

I panicked and said the first thing that popped into my little head."Would you like a glass of water?" I asked feebly.

"Please!" She almost through herself at me as she shouted her response, not that I would have minded that at all. I ran to the kitchen and ran her a cold drink of water. I handed a cup to her and she drunk the whole lot down very quickly. She didn't even take a breath. _Wow, that girl liked her liquids_.

_Oo. Touché. _

I couldn't remove my eyes from her. "Better?" _Stupid question Jake!_

"A little." She replied, almost trembling. I watched as she circled her fingertips around the rim of the cup. She was so delicate, yet strong. I got that vibe from her. She lifted her head, and she had a look on her face like she was trying to comprehend something.

"Why did you defend me?" she asked curiously.

I took a few moments to consider what my answer to this question would be. Something along the lines of _'I love you' _I didn't think would be appropriate, so I had to improvise.

"Well, I didn't think they were being fair considering what _I _could have done to you." I replied confidently.

Anna rolled her eyes at me. "Fair is hardly a minor judgment Jacob. I could have seriously hurt you."

_Pfft. Yeah right... _

_Okay, yes, you probably could have. _

"But _you_ didn't. So let it go. I am not mad with you." I answered truthfully. _How could I ever be mad with her? _

"Well _you_ should be." She responded, her tone more aggressive now.

"But I'm not, so let's just leave it at that."

"No."

"What do you mean?" _Never question a woman Jacob. Never question a woman!_

"No, I am not going to leave it that. I want to know some things Jacob." She snapped.

I swallowed hard. "Like?" _God, had she sussed me?_

"Like, are you planning on letting me go anytime soon?"

_Not if I can help it._

"Well-" I stammered. I had no answer to this question.

"Well what? Are you keeping me prisoner?" she questioned further.

_Okay, I needed to chill. The last thing I need is to have a wolf temper right about now. Is that what she thought I was doing? Planning on keeping her prisoner? I was keeping her here because I loved her and wanted her to get better. _

I sighed deeply, running my fingers through my hair. "Anna, look, I am not keeping you a prisoner, I am just—" _wanting to keep you here forever because I love you._

She bent her head down rubbing her temple with her fingers and after a few seconds brought it back up. "Okay, I understand that you clearly are having some sort of malfunction up in the old brain there Jacob, so just let me ask you a few simple things."

I pulled up my chair from my desk and sat on the wrong way around so my arms were crossed over the top of the chair, my legs at either side. "Oh course. What do you want to know?"

She was suprised by my confidence and looked down and then up again, like she was trying to find her words. She wasn't the only one.

"Where am I? How did you find me? How did you get rid of the wolf? And why did you help me?"

_Wow, she did have a lot to ask me. So, she had seen a wolf. This complicated things slightly. _

"Okay. I will answer in order. La Push reservoir. I was walking in the woods. I attacked the wolf with a stick and because people help people. It's what they do."

She laughed_. _

_I made her laugh_. "What's so funny?" I enquired.

"You fought a wolf off with a stick?" She seemed unconvinced. I wasn't surprised. It was a shit cover story. _Oh god. This was so awkward. I really hoped that she couldn't read my mind. _

"Yeah, well you see, living out here, you get used to them. You learn how to defend yourself against them."

"And – conclusively, the best way to do that is to what, fight off the beast with a piece of wood?" she smiled again. _God, I loved her smile. _I smiled back. Her face changed expression within seconds."So what's the deal Jake? Do I have to stay here under your watchful eye or is there more to this than you're letting on?" She definitely had me sussed.

I couldn't face telling her now. I had only just met this girl and I wasn't exactly keen on the idea of springing the slight dilemma of what I had done. It didn't seem right somehow. I didn't want to scare her away. I could see the confession in my head: "Oh yeah and by the way I am the wolf that saved you. And if you don't mind I _imprinted _on you and want to be with you for the rest of my life."

_Fuck. _

_Fake an excuse. Any excuse. Just think of one. _"Well you are not fully healed yet and I think I would be in your best interest if you stayed until you felt better."

"My best interest? Look, Jacob, I am fine and healthy and –"

She moved. She hissed, and I guessed her body was still aching. My heart pounded. The pull strained.

"—like I said, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She continued.

"Yeah, very convincing." I smirked. She gave me stare that clearly meant that I should back off.

_Women._

"Look, I don't know what you want me to say to you. Thanks for saving my life. Now please, give me my clothes back so I can leave and continue on my way."

_Great._ She was now demanding me. I wanted to give her what she wanted, but I couldn't. I didn't want her to be unhappy but I needed her to stay.

"I _can't_." I replied.

"What do you mean you _can't_?" She raised her voice.

"I can't let you." I challenged her, waiting for her response. She exhaled deeply and turned her head away from me. 'At least not just yet.'

_Don't pander to her. She'll come round._

I wanted to reach out and embrace her. I wanted to hold her tightly and not let her go, but I knew if I tried any funny business, she would kill me. I wouldn't even doubt her ability if her eyes were anything to go by.

"One day." She offered, not turning from her position.

_No way. I needed longer than that. _

"A week" I responded.

She huffed in disgreement. '3 days' She reasoned back.

'Seven.' I held my offer tightly, praying she would just accept it.

After a few minutes of silence, she turned to face me, her stunning dark eyes locking with mine like she was sealing the deal. "Fine. Deal." She responded through gritted teeth.

_Seven days was all I had. I needed to use them wisely. _

I held out my hand to her and I saw her eyes flicker. She turned to face me, and her hand slide into mine and we shook on our deal. So many ways of sealing the deal and we went for a lousy hand shake. Having said that, it was best handshake I ever had. The cool constrast of her skin felt amazing against my fever. It was such an intense feeling even if it only lasted for a moment. It was worth it.

"Okay so how about we get you sorted out. You can have a shower and get dressed. I bet you are starving so if you want I can cook you something up." I offered kindly.

She didn't smile.

_I guess hostility came with part of the deal._

"One more question." She asked calmly.

"Shoot." I answered. I would deny her questions. I could only deny her truth.

Her eyes focused on me. "Who is Sam?" Those black eyes were the only thing that could force me to give in and tell her everything.

I didn't have time to answer, as I heard my front door opening. _Saved by the bell. Or by the door in this case_.

I saw her eyes widen. "Jake?"

_Shit it was my dad._ I cursed under my breath. Now was not the time for me to be having any form of conversation with my dad. I just hoped Sam hadn't let slip my little secret about Anna being my _imprint _because nothing good would come from having that conversation.


	11. Chapter Nine

**A/N - Please read & review!**

* * *

ANNA POV

**SO DO YOU JUST KEEP WOMEN'S CLOTHES AROUND THE HOUSE OR ARE YOU JUST GENDER CONFUSED?**

Needless to say, I spent the rest of that morning cleaning myself up. Jacob had kindly allowed me to use his shower, however, he had insisted that he waited in his bedroom for me to come out. I suspected he thought I might try and escape again. _He had it all wrong._ I wasn't going to be pulling _a Mission Impossible_ again…_yet _.Besides the bathroom window wasn't nearly big enough for me to squeeze through.

As I turned on the shower, I heard Jacob's voice. I was taking a wild guess he was on the phone because there was only us in the house. Unless of course he actually talked to himself. I didn't interest me. Right now, I was happy to enjoy a shower.

It was such a sweet relief having hot water touch my skin. I felt my body warm up and what little blood I had was pumping good and well through my veins. I ran my hands through my auburn hair, untangling the knots and removing all of the dirt. I ran my fingertips over my neck- that was my sensitive area for many reasons. My fingers found the crescent shaped scar located just beneath my left ear. This was the only thing that bound me to what I was. It was still there and it would always be there for the rest if my life.

I could feel the bruises against my skin. I pressed once and felt the little pang of aching pain. In all honesty, this was like a paper cut compared what I had endured in my past life. I had scars enough to prove that. I realised that my thirst seemed to have lessened slightly – I wasn't sure why. Maybe because I wasn't thinking about it as much as I had been doing. Jacob still smelled delicious too me. I was slowly getting used to his smell no matter how thirsty it made me feel. I had to push it to the back of my maddened mind. As I stood in the shower, I still had little urges to pounce on him, but if I did that, I feared he may get the wrong impression, especially after some of the visuals I had received this morning from him which, I must confess, left little to the imagination. I made a mental note to warn him about that later even though I knew he may get embarassed when I told him.

I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my frame. The room was steamy, so I made a quick exit from the bathroom door. I guess I should have prepared my mind set a little better because I found, upon exiting his bathroom, Jacob clad in naught but a pair of jeans. _Nice._

I couldn't help but glare at him. I must have looked like what a crazed fan girl would look like upon seeing her heart throb. My eyes were having problems removing themselves from his well formed body, and I was suprised that my tongue managed stay within my mouth. He clearly worked out- everything about him was strong and defined. His arms were muscular but not overly muscular like those ridiculous bodybuilders you see in magazines. His chest looked hard, but I could tell his skin was soft. _I wanted to touch it._ The russet tone of his skin was something that could not have been simply achieved; he just seemed to glow like it was natural to him. I felt the heat radiate off him now so much now that it was like being back in the shower.

God himself could not have produced such beautiful art. That is what he was. He was _art._ I had known this guy for about an hour, and I had already seen him half naked.

_Bringing one home for the team Anna!_

Then I caught a sheer glance of his heartbeat. I shut my eyes and shook my head.

"I didn't realize I looked that bad." Jacob laughed, grabbing a white t-shirt and pulling it over his head. The _pull _was drawing me in again, but I held myself firmly where I was. It was only then that I realized that I was only clad in a towel.

_Fucking brilliant._ Pull out the flags. Miss CRIMSON-CHEEKS has arrived.

"Here, let me get you some clothes,' Jacob ushered me into his small bedroom and indicated for me to sit down on the bed. 'I made you some tea and some toast on the side. I hope its okay for you." He smiled making my heart flutter insanely. I gripped my hands to towel, keeping it place. I didn't really fancy having Jacob see me naked. The thought was too embarassing. He exited his bedroom and I made my way over to his desk and sat down. I began to sip the tea. The toast didn't interest me at all, especially not today. Today, I was happy with liquids.

Jacob returned back in less than two minutes carrying numerous amounts of female clothes. He placed them on his bed and spread them out to show me the varied items of clothing. My eyes widened at the selection.

"Do you just keep women's clothes around the house or are you just gender-confused?" I asked sarcastically.

Jacob gave a small laugh. "They belong to my sister Rebecca."

_Ah, he has a sister. Therefore he must understand women. _

"Won't she mind me borrowing them?" I inquired.

"Nah, she doesn't live here anymore. Besides, they don't fit her anyway so I shouldn't see why she would care." I sensed a small sadness in his tone of voice. It made me wonder if he was close with his sister. My mind was still dodgy, so I couldn't see the visual he was sending. I tried to concentrate, but it didn't work. My mind was still fogged like a crystal ball.

"Well, if you insist." I moved myself away from his desk and moved over to the pile of clothes. I turned to see him still stood there looking at me - his piercing hazel eyes beautifully on show.

Jacob suddenly shook his head. "Sorry, I'll give you a few minutes to sort yourself," He moved over to the door and opened it. "Oh, and just because the window's broken doesn't mean that I won't know you've escaped." He tried to sound lighthearted, but I knew he was being serious. He closed the door, but I could still hear his heartbeat on the other side of the door. I began to rummage through the pile of clothes tying to find some something appropriate to wear – as in anything that covers my neck and practically my whole body. Some shades would be great too to cover my eyes. I had to admit, Jacob's sister had great taste in clothes. In the end I decided on a plain white t-shirt combined with vintage black shirt (which had a high collar) and a pair of grey skinny jeans.

After a few moments I heard Jake walk away from the door. I found some makeup and some other stuff in a box that Jacob had brought it. He probably didn't mention it because he felt cheeky by giving me makeup. I am glad he did; I certainly needed it. I applied some powder to my face, and then I tidied up. I looked much better than I had done, but I didn't have any effort to apply the usual eyeliner and mascara. _Who was I trying to impress anyway? _

As I began to pack stuff away in the box, my mind blurred again. Another visual was attempting to enter my mind, but it wasyn' coming from Jacob. I heard a car pull up outside, so purely out of curiousity, I looked out through Jacob's broken window. I saw a Land Rover outside the house and a tall dark skinned woman got out. She went to the back of her car and opened the boot. I watched as she wheeled a wheelchair around to the passenger door. She opened the door and she helped a dark skinned man into the wheelchair before closing the passenger door. The woman leaned in to hug the man, before getting back into the car. I watched as the man wheeled himself up to the front door. I was no doubt that this was Jacob's father. But who was the female? Was that Jacob's mother?

I slowly opened Jacob's bedroom door and stood in the corridor. The door leading to the kitchen was shut but I could hear voices. _Jacob and his dad._ I sensed a tone of distress in Jake's voice. That worried me slightly. I had not comprehended how much people knew about me. What I was mean. Jacob had been gracious enough so far, but the existence of our kind was supposed to be secret. Any form of exposure meant death. I tried not to listen in because I knew that was rude, but the pull on my body was attracting me towards the kitchen where Jake and his dad were. I was not in a position to stop myself.

"You need to tell me what's going on son—"

"I will dad, but just not right now."

"Jacob Ephriam Black you are going to start giving me some answers. I want to know why you called the Cu-"

I think I made my presence heard because I heard Jacob's heart speed up just slow down slightly than from half a minute ago when he was more irritated. The floorboards creaked under my feet as I walked down the corridor. I cringed as the door opened and there stood Jake. I stood there looking like such an idiot. Jake just smiled uneasily and looked back to the kitchen before he ushered me in. I held my body as best I could considering the circumstance I was in. Before me was Jacob's father. He did not look surprised, angry or happy in my presence. Jacob broke the tension I could feel brewing.

"Dad, this Anna De Lancey. Anna, this is my father, Billy Black." Jake said proudly. I did however sense the anxiety in his voice.

I felt that I should be gracious at least. "Pleasure to meet you Mr Black." I said kindly, holding out my hand to him. He gave Jake a funny look before taking my hand and shaking it. God, even his skin was hot. _What was wrong with everybody out here? Were they suffering from a rare disease that made their body temperature sky high?_

"As it to meet you Miss De Lancey." Billy replied, eyeing me up and down. I was not entirely convinced by his tone.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything-" I panicked.

"Not at all. My dad just arrived back from a friend's house, right dad?" Jake said. Billy shot Jake a harsh look, although, I may have interpreted it wrongly. 'He was just coming to check up on me.'

"Oh course. Like I said Jake, Embry and Quil will be along in a few minutes, so you best get ready." His words seemed stern yet honest. I saw Jake nod his head and shuffle his feet anxiously. Billy Black nodded and wheeled himself over towards the fridge. Jacob gave me a look as if to say thanks. I smiled back.

"You should make sure that Anna is ready to go." Billy said as he opened a carton of orange juice.

I turned to face Jake wondering what his plans were. "Why? Where are we going Jacob?"

Jake didn't look at me.

" I take it you haven't explained it to her yet. Well never mind, you can explain to her on the way down." Billy spoke.

"Jake—" I stammered moving towards him. I sensed that Billy was not comfortable with how close I was getting to his son.

"It's okay Anna." He grabbed my wrist holding it tightly. I squirmed. This contact was too much for me. His warm penetrating blood pulsed through the veins in is wrist. I could feel the blood and I certainly could smell it. _I felt thirsty again. _

"Jake-" His dad spoke. I sensed a warning in Billy's tone but Jake didn't seem to listen to him.

"Just don't be freaked out okay. We are just paying a visit to somebody." He made it sound so appealing, but the only appealing thing in my mind was him. _All of him._ My eyes flashed with a wild manic thirst and I felt my throat go dry despite my mouth watering insanely. I swallowed, releasing my hand from his grip. He looked disappointed_. I wish he could understand._

"One of your friends?" I managed to say. "Are we going to see Sam?"

Even Billy gave me a funny stare. Jake rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Not exactly." Jake answered nervously. "If I said trust me, would you?" His eyes pleaded with mine desperately.

How could he ask me a question like that? I barely knew him.

"Should I have a reason not to?" I questioned.

"Let's go Jake. Come on." Billy urged.

Jacob looked at me, his eyes looked like he was trying to plead with me. "Trust me please?" Jake moaned, trying to grab my hand again but I backed off quicker than could catch.

"Not until you tell me where I am going." I snapped.

Jake sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and biting his lip. Those succulent, sweet lips...

"I'm sorry to do this." He said calmly. He grabbed my body in a quick movement, not roughly, but gently considering my current state. I was so engrossed with him that I didn't even have time to react to him properly. _What was this guy doing to me?_ He was affecting my senses in good and bad ways. Some ways I didn't even think possible. His hands gripped my waist and I tried to pull away but there was no way he was letting me go. _God he was strong._ I clawed at his back and shoulders as he flung me over his shoulder. I began pounding his body with my fist. I pulled my stomach in the process. I groaned.

"Don't struggle. It will just make this harder." Jake stated calmly.

I didn't give up my struggle until we were out of the door. I decided to give in knowing that I was not in the best state to fight him in. _Give me a day or two and he was dead_. I let my body fall limp in his arms, my arms draped over his shoulder. As if on cue, Jake's two friends whom I had earlier met sprinted out of the forest that Jake's house backed into (looking rather ragged I might add). They saw me draped over Jake's shoulder and exchanged boyish glances. Jake moved over to his car, which just so happened to be a Rabbit 1986.

_Oh classic._ I could bet that Jake wasn't even born when these babies were made.

_Gosh. Talk about feeling old._

He opened the door and set me down on my feet. I shot him a nasty glare. "Nice look, but I bet mine's scarier." He joked.

_I wasn't in the mood for jokes. _

"You carriage awaits." He continued. Great. _The comedian has returned._

I moved my body stiffly into the back of the car and sat in the middle of the seat. Jake shut the door and locked it. I crossed my arms over my chest like a sulky child. I looked out of the window and saw Embry and Quil talking to Jake's dad. They were deep in concentration. I wanted to listen to them but I had nor the power nor effort to do so. I saw Billy glance in my direction, and I turned my head away and carried on sulking. Jake opened the car door and got in the driver's seat and rolled his window down and called out to his friends.

"Guys, once you've finished pissing around, you might want to just get into the car." They both groaned and I watched as both got in either side of me. They were huge, but I could take them in seconds if I had wanted to; not that I would. _They both stunk_. Sitting next to them was going to be torture. I don't know what they had been doing but they smelt like wet dog. My nose kept twitching as I nestled uncomfortably between the two Quilete lads. _They really were huge. What the hell were their mothers feeding them? Miracle grow?_

Jake started up the car and revved it warming the engine. He reversed out of the driveway of his house.

"And Jake. When you get back you can explain to me what happened to my damn table!" Billyshouted as Jake drove off. Embry and Quil sniggered. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I figured it was maybe an inside joke. That wasn't the case. My head cleared and I saw a very clear visual. _I saw Jake snap part of the kitchen table off and throw it onto the floor in my mind._ I shook my head, ridding of the image. I hated having a gift, especially when the gift came when it pleased. I saw Jacob in the mirror. He smiled at me.

"I suppose you think this is really funny." I snarled through gritted teeth.

"Not really. It's actual torture for me to see you like this." He responded.

_Sarcastic twat._

"Anna is your seatbelt done?" Jake asked suddenly.

"Is yours Jake?" I asked back sardonically. Quil sniggered under his breath.

"Please put your seatbelt on." Jake said pleadingly.I rolled my eyes at him. _This was ridiculous._ _Since when did this guy become all safety conscious? _

After five minutes of awkwardness and having to endure the stench of wet dog, Quil shuffled in his seat. "Come on Jake. You drive like a cissy. Just hurry up and get to the damn Cullens already!"

My eyes snapped shut and I recollected an image of the Cullens in my head. _The Cullens._

_Edward. He came to us just over a year ago. He came to us and asked us to kill him. He was upset over a girl called Bella. Bella Swan. Pale skin, dark hair, brown eyes. I remember her. Jane's gift didn't work on her. Neither did mine. Well both of them to be exact. I knew why. I figured it out from the moment she entered Volterra. The girl from Jake's photograph. Bella Swan. Jake knew Bella. Jake knew the Cullens. The Cullens knew me. Fucking small and dangerous world. Why was Jake taking me to the Cullens? Unless he knew-_

"Did you just say Cullens?" I asked out of character. Nobody answered. I looked at Jake in the mirror again. He didn't smile this time.

_Shit. _

We drove in silence for the next fifteen minutes. Embry began to draw on the window due to the condensation whilst Quil hummed to himself much to mine and Jacob's annoyance. I was trying to keep myself occupied away from the scent I could smell. My eyes kept on glancing at Jake's reflection in the car mirror. He looked so serious and deep in thought. I could have studied his facial expressions for hours. _I only had seven days until I was out of here. I hoped only at least_. It was going to kill me if I stayed here any longer and the smell was enough to put even the hungriest vampire off his meal sitting next to these two.

_Why did they smell so bad? They didn't smell bad before. _

We arrived at our destination, or I figured as much because Jake stopped the car. I looked out of the window, well from what I could see because Embry's huge frame was blocking most of my view. I saw a house. The house was secluded; nicely built and was beautifully architectured. It was stunning. I undid my seatbealt eagerly wanting to get a breath of fresh air. Embry got out of the car first followed by Jake. Jake walked round to my side and held his hand out to me_. Total and completely unnecessary patronization. _I didn't refuse his hand though – mainly because I liked the feel of his skin, especially against mine.

_Pull in my stomach. Human emotion taking over. _

Embry closed the door to the Rabbit. "Jake do you need us—"

"Nah. You wait in the car with Quil and keep him entertained. I don't think she'll be any trouble." Jake tried to fake a smirk. Embry patted him on the shoulder.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" I hissed as his arm held onto mine. Jake ignored me. "Jake, listen to me," I pulled my arm away from his, which worked unsuccessfully only bringing us closer. His chest against mine. I looked up at him. "_You _are going to tell what is going on right now!" My rage was slowly building.

"Gosh, you do have a temper when you want one." Jake stated.

_Damn right I did, and it was about to get a whole lot worse if he didn't start giving me some answers. He was giving me no visuals, so I had to get it out of him by harder means. _

"It's your fault! You aren't being fair Jake. I'll ask you again, why have you brought me here?" I demanded an answer.

Jake suddenly lifted his head up. His nose was twitching insanely like he could smell something bad. _Maybe he could smell Embry and Quil too? _His eyes darted over to the house. I felt my body plummet a thousand feet as I recognized the face looking back at me. The kind faced topaz eyed being that was smiling at me, almost like he had known I was coming.

_It was the face of Carlisle Cullen. _


	12. Chapter Ten

**A/N - Long chapter mainly because there is a lot to take in. Hope you enjoy it and PLEASE review! Any feedback, what you think about the story or characters would be greatly appreciated :)**

* * *

ANNA POV

**OH WELL THERE GOES THE OLD TICKER. I NEVER HAD MUCH USE FOR IT ANYWAY.**

_Shit shit shit._

Carlisle Cullen was living _here._ In Forks. Of all the places he could be living in, he was living _here_. The last time I heard, he and his family were still living in Alaska with the Denali clan. I guess it made sense; wet weather, no sunlight and plenty of hunting grounds. I couldn't really fault him. He was living by his good intentions. If there was one thing I could say about Carlisle Cullen was that he was the most genuine vampires I had ever met. I was just scared about whatever reaction he was going to portray in seeing my face here.

"Well well. Anna De Lancey, it is very good to see you alive and well," He began walking towards me, his smile was nothing more than gracious. He was so beautiful, but then again, I had always thought so. I sensed Jacob's body stiffen and his nose twitch. _What the hell was with him?_

He kept a good distance from Carlisle but a good stance close to me.

"You get better with age." Carlisle concluded as he looked at me, smiling.

I smiled, trying to keep up with the game. "Carlisle, I thank you for your kind words." _I saw what he was doing and played along with it. Whatever story he was willing to give for my reason being here had to be better than truth. Anything was better than the truth. _

I felt very awkward stood in between these two figures. I couldn't be sure but I swear I heard Jacob swear. "I am very glad you called me Jacob. It is always pleasant to see an old friend." Carlisle spoke, looking at Jacob.

Jacob's body stiffened. "So I take it you do know Anna then?"

_What? Okay, I was missing something here? _

"Oh course. I was very good friends with Anna's father a long time ago." Carlisle answered. Carlisle _never_ lied, unless he was doing it for a good reason. I couldn't help but question: _Was I really worth his lies? _I nodded at Jake who seemed unconvinced. Jake merely focused his attention back onto Carlisle who was still smiling. His elegant face showed nothing but kindness.

_How could anybody not believe him? _

My nose twitched. Jake picked up on that. Embry and Quil approached the three of us. "Is everything okay?" Embry asked.

"Everything is fine Embry. Go back to the car." Jake spoke quickly.

"Its just, I got a call from Sam—"Embry was cut off by Jake, who hissed under his breath.

I turned to face Jacob, my eyes nearly popping out of my head. "Sam?" I asked curiously.

Jake's face dropped as he pulled Embry and Quil to one side.

_Y__eah as if couldn't hear what he was saying._

_Pull._

"Sam is coming here _now_, so you do whatever needs to be done." I heard Embry mutter under his breath.

"Carlisle _knows_ her. I doubt he is lying." Jake hissed back.

"How do we know that we can trust him? I know he's a good guy and everything but - "Quil was cut off by Jake. "You go back to the car and wait for Sam. I'll deal with this before Sam gets here." Jake tried to send Embry and Quil away before returning to face me. Neither of them moved. We all just stood there switching our glances to each other.

_I was angry. I had no idea what was going on and I wanted answers and by god, I was going to get them._

"Do you mind if I speak with Anna alone?" Carlisle intervened, putting his question forward to Jacob.

Jacob gave an uneasy look. "Well-"

_That was it! I no longer cared what Jacob Black thought. I was going to talk to Carlisle. _

"Jacob, chill, I'm fine" I snapped, moving myself closer to Jacob. I put my cold hand on his arm. "_Do you trust me_?"

Quil and Embry looked uneasy at the question I had just asked. Jake looked at me not knowing what to say. He swallowed hard; part of me thought that he was thinking of an easy way to say 'no' meanwhile the other half thought he was adjusting to my contact. And then he looked at me, his dark eyes showed no sign of negotitaion.

"I don't think-"

"Let's leave them Jake."Quil interupted, standing by Jake's left side. I felt Quil's eyes on me, but my eyes remained on Jake's. "They may have things to discuss. When Sam gets here, I am sure Carlisle will explain everything."

I swallowed hard. I couldn't tell them the truth. It was far too complicated for their brains to handle. Carlisle nodded. "Oh course. I will not too take long I assure you. I shall return her to you in the same condition that she is in now. If not, a little healthier than she currently is." He spoke light-heartedly.

Thank god. _I doubt Edward would have given me this gratitude had he been here today. _

Jake, however didn't seem to see the funny side of any of this. I gave Jake an easy smile as I slipped from his contact causing a huge strain on my body as I walked over to Carlisle. Carlisle placed his arm around my shoulder, and supported me as we walked towards his house. Carlisle knew exactly what was wrong with me. I found myself not moving as fast as I should, and that was down to two things; Firstly, my body was _starved. _I hadn't hunted properly so it caused my body to feel lethargic. Secondly, this restriction on my body was beginning to agrivate me. It felt like I was a giant elastic band which could snap at any minute. It didn't hurt so much, it just _ached_. I felt weird, unfulfilled, like a part of me was missing. Surely being away from Jake would do me good. _Actually it would do me a hell of a lot of good._ For however long I was with Carlisle I wouldn't have this nagging feeling to want to kill Jake and drain his body...

But when I looked back as him as I approached Carlisle's house, the burn on the pit of stomach throbbed. I saw Jake's face and I could see that he was holding himself back. He looked worried, like this was the last time he would ever see me again. I didn't understand what sort of fascination he held over me, but whatever it was, it made me feel the exact same about him too.

_His beautiful features. His racing blood rate_. I felt my mouth water, but not in a good way_. _

* * *

The Cullen's house was above and beyond magnificent. I knew the Cullens had never been without money, but they had always been affable about the riches they had. Carlisle, having been a doctor for a great number of centuries, had come into quite a lot of wealth during his lifetime, but he never abused it. He had always given his family what he could, and that is why I admired him for it. He believed his purpose in life was to help people, it was his _'telos'_ as he called it. He had been there to help me in my life; both in my human and current life.

As I entered the house, I could hear Mozart playing. The sound brought me back to time I had spent living with the Cullens in Alaska where I had begged Edward to teach me how to play the piano. I smiled at the memory.

As Carlisle led me through to the kitchen, I realised I had not spoken one word to him.

"Carlisle, listen I am very sorry—" I began. Carlisle turned to face me, his honey eyes showing no sign of anger, simply love.

"What have you got to apologise for my dear Anna? I am sure there is a perfectly logical explanation."

I cowered my head to his response. _Oh course there was. I betrayed the Volturi and now I was running to save my worthless half life. _

"Well…" I began, trying to figure out how the hell I was even going to begin to explain this one.

"Why don't you sit down?" he offered kindly. I nodded as he pulled out a chair for me to sit down. I relaxed into the chair despite my aching muscles. I had always thought well of Carlisle. He was a gentle man and he was one of the most gracious vampires I had met in my life.

"Thank you Carlisle." I said, taking a seat. He smiled at me, before walking down the hall. He shouted up stairs. "Esme. Our guest had arrived." He walked back down into the kitchen and leant against the breakfast bar. "She'll be down in a moment. She has been every much looking forward seeing you since Mr Black called this morning."

_Why had Jacob called the Cullens? I still couldn't get my head around that one. _

'Jacob called? How do you kno-" I was interupted when I felt another prescence enter the kitchen.

"Hello Anna my dear." A beautiful voice echoed through the corridor as Esme Cullen entered the kitchen. I recognised her immediately. She looked as beautiful as she had always been. Her hair looked a little darker but was still in neat condition. She still had the beautiful honey eyes, long eyelashes and rose coloured lips. She walked up to me and I stood up as she embraced me warmly. "Hello Esme. It's wonderful to see you again." I remembered Esme; she always made such a fuss over me back when I was a human, and during the time I had spent with the Cullens in Alaska. I missed having her as a mother figure, mainly because she reminded me so much of my own mother. "As it is you." She gave me kiss on my forehead, before walking over to the cupboards. "Can I interest you in a drink? Tea maybe?"

As much as I wanted a cup of tea, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Carlisle saw my discomfort and patted Esme on the shoulder, indicating to her my state of hunger, or rather _thirst. _I swallowed hard, embarrassed that my thirst was a little more than obvious.

"Esme would you run down to the garage and fetch some two blood packets please?"

"Oh course," Esme replied. She turned to face me before she left the room. "Which do you prefer Anna? O Negative or AB Positive?" She joked.

I laughed gently. She wandered off from the kitchen, leaving me with Carlisle. I rubbed my eyes, and I knew for a fact that I had looked in better condition than Carlisle and Esme has seen me in. As happy as they appeared to be to see me alive, they knew something was wrong. Carlisle walked towards me taking a seat opposite me. "Jacob mentioned your hand.' His eyes steered down to my right hand. I had completely forgotten about it. I saw that the blood had dried up completely, but there were still small pieces of glass lodged into my skin. 'You always did have a pretty mean punch Anna.' Carlisle chuckled taking my hand into his cool hands. It felt soothing.

'Yeah, well that window had it coming' I smiled back.

'We'll have to get those shards removed before you hand begins to heal naturally, which judging by this, the healing has already began,' Carlisle gently placed my hand back down. 'Jacob also mentioned some marks.'

I swallowed hard, avoiding eye contact with him. 'They're just bruises-" I stammered.

'He mentioned _other_ marks Anna," Carlisle replied, a little concern in his voice. I didn't know what to say to him. The last time Carlisle had seen me, I was in perfect condition. "Do you mind if we go upstairs. I have proper facilities upstairs. Esme will meet us upstairs."

_Facilities? Like what? Actually, I didn't even want to go there._

Carlisle helped me to my feet and aided me upstairs. As I walked upstairs, I felt the elastic band feeling return. I didn't care too much for it to be honest. I took time to admire the walls, in an attempt to take my mind off it. The walls were decorated beautifully with photographs of the Cullens; each one as beautiful as the next. I noticed a large wall of graduation caps – obviously belonging to Edward. He was the academic in the family by miles. I remembered all of our philosophical and theological debates we had about the meaning of life, and pondering about the existence of God and souls. We always had interesting conversations.

As we reached the top of the stairs, Carlisle continued to lead me down the corridor. I past a few rooms on my way down the corridor. I clearly underestimated this house. It was like a hotel on the inside. Again the walls were ordained with artwork, although one piece caught my eye immediately. My body stopped at a picture painting which hung outside Carlisle's study. In the painting, I saw them.

_Aro, Caius and Marcus. _

This painting was very old, clearly from the 16th or 17th century, judging by how they were dressed. They still looked similar. Caius's hair was longer, but Aro's was shorter now. Marcus, _'my father'_, was still the same. He had not changed one bit. I felt a sick feeling come over me as I stared at their crimson eyes. I could not help but feel guilty on Marcus' part for he had always been kind to me, but I hated Caius, and he had hated me. He only wanted to keep me for my powers. I saw another familiar face in the picture. A blonde haired vampire...

'Ah, that was a long time ago. Seems like only yesterday that I was there with them.' Carlisle spoke, scanning his eyes over the picture, before turning to me. 'Shall we?' He ushered me towards a room which largely resembled the old hospital wards I used to work in all those years closed the door and motioned me over to the bed.

"Why don't you lie down?" Carlisle advised. I nodded and laid down comfortably on the bed.

"Would you mind just lifting up your shirt Anna? So I can see the marks?" Carlisle asked. I brought my fingers to the hem of the shirt and gently pulled it up over my hip where my marks began. I laid on my side to make it easier for him to see.

"Sorry my hands may be a little _cold_." He joked. I cringed as his iced cold fingertips traced the marks I hissed. "Ah I see. Well the bruises are easily explained. I see your anaemia has returned to haunt you into your vampire life once again. The bruises that have formed on your body are simply a reaction to you not feeding yourself properly - a wake up call, if you will. You are looking rather frail; I hope you don't take any offence to that.'

'None at all.' I replied. I understood, that he was only being truthful.

'They will clear up when you feed, so when Esme brings the blood we will begin that process immediately. Now...' He traced his fingers along the scars which ran up my back and he remained silent for a moment. 'These are the work of a vampire I presume?'

I gritted my teeth. "That would be the work of _Jane._" I sensed Carlisle roll his eyes. He didn't care too much for Jane. _Not many did_.

'I'm sorry Anna.' Carlisle replied sincerly. 'I know you and Jane never really saw eye to eye, but I never thought she was one to inflict physical damage, especially to you.' He ran his fingers down my scars. If only he knew. _They was so many things he didn't know. _

Carlisle pulled my shirt back down and moved over to sit down in his chair in front of me. I didn't know what to say to him.

'Anna, when did this all happen?'

I swallowed hard as I thought back to when all of this truly began. 'It started when you handed me back over to them after my time living with you. I don't know what happened, but everything changedwhen I returned. I knew that they were angry with me because of the decision I made, but I never thought that everything would become do different.'

Carlisle reached over to take my hand. 'You should have told us.'

'How could I? They would have found out one way or another, and they would have come after you. As I told Edward, the picture Demetri created in his mind that day was enough. He has a tendency to be quite graphic when he's plotting things, and he knew that I only _I_ could see it. It was a warning to me.'

Carlisle eased me up so I was sat upright on the table. He placed a few cushions behind the bed for me and I eased myself back against them. I saw Carlisle hooking the IV cables up to the machine. 'Tell me, how long has it been since you last fed?' Carlisle enquired.

'I few weeks.' I replied.

Carlisle turned around to face me. 'You know how dangerous that can be Anna. You've seen how volatile we can get if we don't hunt, but for you, it's more serious, especially in _your_ condition.'

'I know. I wasn't thinking. I was just so eaten up about everything that was happening over there-'

'You allowed your anger to over shadow your hunger. I completely understand Anna.'

I swallowed hard thinking about that night I spent in Seattle. _The night before I was caught out._

'Carlisle, I have a confession to make.'

Carlisle walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. 'Go ahead Anna. I'm not here to judge you.'

I closed my eyes as I tried to recollect what had happened that night.

_I had arrived in Seattle in a fit of rage. I was anger, I was thirsty, and I could feel myself being drawn in by all the humans that were around me as I walked into the nearest bar. I just needed to sit down. I was tired and my head was spinning. I only stayed for a few minutes when I noticed the bar started to close. I mangaged to lift myself up because I couldn't stay here. As I made my way to the exit, I was confronted by a group of men. They must have been in their late thirties, early forties, and worst of all they were drunk. One of them tried to make a move on me, and I lost it. I flipped out. It was only when the strong stench of human blood filled my nostrils did I realise what I had done..._

'You killed them?' Carlisle questioned.

I nodded, ashamed of what I had just confessed. I recollected the image of the bodies sprawled on the floor of the bar, blood everywhere. On my hands...

I felt his cool hand rub my shoulder. "Everybody has slip ups Anna." Carlisle reassured me. "It's happened to us all. You must have been mad to allow your self control to slip like that. But you didn't drink their blood which is a good thing I suppose.'

'It doesn't excuse what I did Carlisle. I killed a group of people, and that's against what I made my life to be. My whole motivation of _this_ life is to continue my work helping people, not ending their lives. I was just so...angry isn't even the correct word if I am honest."

I felt Carlisle's warm eyes look at me. "What happened in Italy Anna?"

I couldn't tell him, at least not right now. I was in no position to tell anybody anything.

"Let's just say, things _don't _always work out." I replied, trying not to give to much away from my facial expressions.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not particularly." I answered honestly.

"I respect your privacy. But you know that you can tell me anything and I will try and help you."

"Thankyou Carlisle."

Carlisle walked over to the other side of the room bringing over a machine. He saw the flicker in my eyes and chuckled. 'To say you were once a nurse, I find it so amusing that you cannot stand needles.'

I couldn't help but smile at his comment. 'Correction, I have no problems with needles. I would just rather them not be in MY body.' The idea of sticking a needle in my arm didn't seem like such a good idea at the present time, but I knew it was for my own good. Moments later, I heard Esme come up the stairs and she entered the room. I could smell it a mile off. The iron smell. The smell of _blood._ But it wasn't human blood. It was deer. I felt my tongue stray to my sharp fanged teeth as the smell became more accesible to me. Esme was carrying two large blood bags. It smelled delicious; not nearly as delicious as Jacob smelled to me, but even still.

She walked over to Carlisle and handed him the two blood bags.

'Thank you' Carlisle placed a kiss on Esme's forehead. He attacthed one of the blood bags to the machine.

'Are you ready Anna?' Carlisle held the cannula and needle in his hand. I nodded holding out my left arm. Now, vampire skin is very thick and almost impossible to pierce, but mine is a little different. My skin is tougher than humans skin, but not a thick as vampire skin. It took Carlisle a few attempts but luckily, he got a good vein and inserted the cannula. Within a few minutes, I felt the rush. To put into human terms, it's like receiving morphine. I felt the effects of the animal blood immediatley as it pumped into my body. I leant back and relaxed. Carlisle pulled up a chair next to me and opened his surgical kit. 'Now, while I have you relaxed, I'll attend to this.' He pulled out some tweezers and began to remove the small shards of glass. I didn't even feel a thing. I watched calmly as Carlisle cleaned up my wound and dressed my hand in bandages.

'Your knuckles will heal in no time,' Carlisle threw the last bloodied swap away into a bowl before lighting a match to burn it. 'Just promise me, you put anymore windows through.' I nodded my head in agreement as Carlisle swapped the blood bag over to the new one. I laid there comfortably for several minutes watching Carlisle as he cleaned up. I felt my eyes regain the perfect vision I once had. My hearing became more clear, and my head was no longer feeling as fogged up as it had been.

"So tell me, how do you feel now?" Carlisle asked kindly.

"Better," I answered truthfully. "Much better than before."

Carlisle leaned in examining my eyes. "Well you are showing it. You're eyes are turning back to your usual colour. I must say, purple suits you well." He smiled again. My eyes were naturally blue, but since turning, they had merged with the red and become purple. Just even more proof that I was a freak.

Carlisle waited until the last drop of blood emptied into my body before turning of the machine and removing the cannula from my arm. He pressed a cotton wool ball against my skin to stop the tiny trickle of blood which has formed where the cannula had been. Carlisle stood up and wiped his hands with a towel.

'If you don't mind me asking, where are the rest of the family?' I enquired. I had been curious about that since I had arrived.

'Emmett and Rosalie have travelled down to Canada for the weekend. A chance to get away from the Cullen madhouse,' Carlisle chuckled. 'And Alice and Jasper suddenly decided to take a hunting trip this morning.'

Alice. _Yeah, I remembered her. _I had never met Jasper - well at least not properly. Somehow, the family always had an excuse to keep him away from me, even after I had turned. I had met Rosalie and Emmett a few times during my stay in Alaska, but they liked to travel around a lot. Emmett enjoyed challenging me to arm wrestles a lot. It was only really Esme and Edward, along with the Denali Coven who stayed put in Alaska, so, conclusively, Edward was the one who I had spent the most time with. I guessed that was probably the reason why he hated me now. He felt like I had betrayed him. Me and Edward had never had an intimate relationship; I guess we were just fascinated by each other. The first time I met Edward was when I began nursing in Italy. He knew something was different about me the moment he saw me. He had been like a brother to me throughout my stay in Alaska; he somehow managed to fill the places of my brothers who unfortunetly were no longer in the picture.

Carlisle interupted my train of thought. "It's actually quite ironic that Alice isn't here today."

"Why is that?"

"She predicted a visitor, but she was unsure about who it was for a long while. Her visions has been slightly off recently. I am not entirely sure why." Carlisle seemed baffled. He couldnt have been anywhere near as baffled as myself.

"She saw me coming didn't she?" I questioned. _Had she been keeping tabs on my decisions? _

"Not coming, no. She knew somebody would come to us eventually but she couldn't see who it was at first. Eventually, she discovered it was you and she's been battling with that information since the newborn fight a few weeks back. She blurted it all to me in the end. She'd tried to keep it a secret, especially from Edward.'

I sighed heavily. 'I guess I can understand that.'

'I hope you won't be mad with her, but after she left Italy last year, she' found it difficult not to keep her eye on you. She made it one of her priorities to watch your decisions.'

'How can I be mad with her?' I questioned. 'If anything, it's nice to know somebody was watching out for me.' I smiled at Carlisle, how came and sat down on the chair next to my bed.

'Speaking of decisions, what do you think you are planning on doing now you're here?'

I had absolutely no idea. Rightfully, I should carry on my journey trying to get as far away from this place as I could. The Volturi guard could show up at any moment and then the game would be over. Was I willing to risk the lives of the Cullens and the residents or Forks and La Push?

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

'Well you know, you are more than welcome to stay here. The family would love to have you back I'm sure.'

_No, not an option _I thought to myself. "Carlisle, thank you for the gracious offer, but I must insist against it. I cannot stay here, it is far too dangerous. Not just for me, but for the whole of Forks, not to mention La Push. I will not endanger anybody because of my decision. It is hardly fair—"

"Nobody will attack here." Carlisle interupted confidently.

"What makes you so sure?" I challenged his response.

Carlisle turned to face me. "La Push has its defenses, and we have ours."

I looked at him, slightly confused yet intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

Carlisle laughed. "You forget we gave two particular talents in our family—"

_How I could I forget? Edward and Alice were more gifted than I was and Aro has wanted them to join us for years. The mind-reader and the psychic. I remember Edward reading my thoughts and I made him swear not to tell another soul. He stuck by his promise. I thanked him for that. But he hated me and I doubt that even he would be happy with me associating myself with his family once again. I wasn't the person everybody thought I was and nobody knew that better than Edward. _

"No I don't mean that. I mean, the thing about La Push having its own defenses. Well, what kind of _defenses?"_

Carlisle looked uneasy. 'It's not really my place to say."

Then, suddenly, it clicked.

I widened my eyes at the thought. "Carlisle—do _they_ know about you?"

_Was it possible that Jake and the other boys knew about the Cullens? About our race? _

Carlisle sighed. "Yes. They do."

I panicked. _This was not good_. "But that's against the law. Aro would have you killed if he knew you had revealed yourselves to humans—"

"He won't find out. And besides, we never revealed ourselves. We were simply..._caught out_."

Now, I may be an educated know-it-all, but now, I really was confused.

Carlisle leaned forward, his eyes locking with mine. "You know that our family only hunt animals and not humans?"

"Oh course." I replied.

"Well many years ago, when we first came to live here, before I even met you, we went hunting in the forests for deer, elk...basically, anything we could find. That very day, luck went against us and we were caught hunting on a certain area of land."

I could not helped but be intrigued as the visuals that entered my head from Carlisle's showed such a clear story. "Who was it that caught you?"

"The Quiletes." He replied simply.

_Quiletes. Must be some tribe. _

"It just so happened that Ephriam Black, who was the Chief, was the one that caught us."

Hang on a second. _Black?_ 'As in-" I didn't need to finish my sentence as a picture of tall, dark skinned man with long ebony hair entered my mind. I could not believe the uncanny resembelence that this man had to Jacob. He was beautiful.

Carlisle nodded. "That's right. Jacob's grandfather." _Jacob's grandfather was in a tribe? _

"So what happened?"

"Well, we got ourselves into a little trouble. Rightfully as _Protectors_, they were well within their right to kill us, but when we informed them that were weren't like other vampires, or 'Cold Ones' as they called us, we made a treaty with them."

"A treaty? What kind of treaty?"

"We promised not to hunt animals on their lands,' Carlisle answered calmly. 'You remember that line you crossed today?'

I recollected a thought from my memory. I remember Jacob driving past it. "Yes." I answered.

"Well, that is the borderline. Quilete to Cullen. We cross it, then we break the treaty."

"That's why they brought me to you. Because they weren't breaking their side of the deal?"

"Exactly."

This was a lot of oral information and visual information for me to comprehend in my head. "Just out of curiousity, is that why the brought me to you? To see if I was what _they _thought I was?"

"I presume so," Carlisle replied. "You see, _you_ are very different. You're a vampire, that's plain enough for them to see, but you are still attatched to your human side. You have a faint beating heart and a pulse, and you have the ability to bleed. Not to mention, you suffer from anaemia; a human condition which has follwed you into your vampire life. You are probably one of the only hybrids in existence."

I scoffed. "I guess thats why the Volturi wanted me huh? Just to serve as a prize to them.'

Carlisle rubbed my arm. 'It's not your fault Anna. You're just a special being that's all.' He smiled warmly at me, and I returned the smile.

'Carlisle, could I ask you something else? You mentioned earlier that Alice had been tracking my decisions, and she knew that I was heading in this direction because she had already seen me make that decision. You also said that after I had arrived here, she lost track of me. Why was that?'

Carlisle rubbed the back of his head, and swallowed hard. 'Well you see, Alice is blind when it comes to the Quilete boys and their, well, _forms_."

"How so?" _And what did he mean by forms?_

Carlisle chuckled. "I think I have said too much. Why don't you discuss this with Jacob?"

I fell silent. _Jacob invaded my thoughts once more._"I guess I could." I shuffled my body on the bed. "So, they don't have a problem with you? I mean, with you being vampires and all?" I questioned further.

Carlisle shook his head. "Unless we break the treaty, I don't see why they should. Oh course there are always those who disapprove of what we do and what we are, but everybody is entitled to their own opinion."

_Same old Carlisle. Modest as ever._

Esme entered the room again. "Everything okay?"

"I am fine thank you Esme." I replied, getting down off the bed. "I should get going. Jacob will probably burst into the house if I stay any longer." I knew that because I could see what he was planning to do. He had been tampering with the idea for a few minutes from I gathered from the visual he sending. _Crafty little thing._

"Well I do hope that you come again and visit Anna. It was lovely to see you again." Esme said embracing me once more.

"You too,' I replied kindly, returning the hug. 'And Carlisle, thank you, well for everything. You really are a life saver."

Carlisle smiled. "No problem. I am happy to help a fellow vampire. Oh and Anna—"

I turned to face him. "Yes?"

"Just think about what I said." I knew what he meant. He wanted me to talk to Jacob. I wanted to talk to Jacob, but not straight away. If he knew what I was, he needed to deal with it and I needed time to figure out how to approach him.

"I will Carlisle. Most definitely."

* * *

Carlisle led me out of the house, following close behind me. I saw Jacob stood with Quil and Embry. Another guy was stood with him; a huge guy, dark skin and his hair pulled into a ponytail. All four of them glared at me as I walked towards them. I felt the pull on my body drawing me towards Jake's beating heart. Thats when I knew I was looking into the face of Sam - the Sam I had been so anxious to finally meet. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my body.

Oh well. _There goes the old ticker. _

_I never had much use for it anyway_.


	13. Chapter Eleven

**A/N-** Okay THANKYOU TO ALL THE READERS AND REVIEWERS :D My story is beginning to pick up slightly, but I still need some more help in getting readers and reviews, so again keep reviewing and let me know how you feel about the story :D

Okay slightly shorter chapter this time. Basically, I need to know if you as readers prefer shorter chapters (in which case I will be able to update more regulary) or whether the long chapters are better - so again let me know :)

Emmerald x

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Not even Jacob Black :( - However, Taylor Lautner has been taxed by moi, so hands off!

* * *

JACOB POV

**ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE? **

_Right, well I am gonna need a tombstone with my name on it because I am so dead._

I watched Anna's nose twitch as if she had picked up a foul scent. I already knew that we smelt like wet dog to the bloodsuckers, but then again, at least they knew why we had a funny scent to us. As far I was aware, Anna knew nothing about what we were, but I was pretty sure she may start questioning me at some point. She have only just come out of what appeared to be a twelve hour coma, but she wasn't stupid. I knew she had picked up on the body heat, and if she had picked up on our scents, it wouldnt take her long to figure this whole thing out. I watched as Embry and Quil approached the three of us and as they did, I eyed Anna closely; this pull and her obvious beauty was holding my attention.

"Is everything okay?" Embry asked.

I responded quickly, not wanting anybody to create any more drama than was necessary. "Everything is fine Embry. Go back to the car."

Embry leant in towards me but so that _she_ was still in earshot. "It's just, I got a call from Sam—"

I cut Embry off.

"Sam?" Anna questioned, her dark eyes widened at the prospect of hearing Sam's name mentioned.

_Great._ The last thing I wanted was for Anna to start panicking about Sam. _Fucking Embry_. If there ever was "The World's Biggest Idiot Award" he would be claiming it right now. I pulled Embry and Quil to one side before having a brainwave. _Yeah as if Anna wasn't going to be able to hear what we were saying._

_Pull_.

This _imprinting_ thing could start to get annoying.

"Sam is coming here now, so you do whatever needs to be done." Embry muttered under his breath.

_What did he want me to do? Kill her? Kiss her? Truthfully,the second option was looking more appetizing._

Sam still hadn't had chance to have his "Alpha-Beta" talk with me just yet, so that made me nervous. What the hell was I supposed to say to him? _"Sorry but if Anna turns out to be a dangerous moronic bloodsucking fiend then I don't care because I love her and you will have to kill me first?" _I couldn't turn my back on La Push. It was my home, and these were my brothers. My family. I couldn't ever disown them. But I couldn't turn a blind eye to Anna either – not now at least.

"Carlisle _knows_ her. I doubt he is lying." I hissed back.

"How do we know that we can trust him? He's a lee—"I cut Quil off again. Yes, Carlisle was a leech, but he wasn't like all the others. Honestly he was a decent vampire. As if there ever was such a thing.

"You go back to the car and wait for Sam. I will deal with this." I demanded. I had to get them away from me otherwise I may have strangled them both by now. I felt my hands ball into fists when neither of them moved. I felt a burn of anger slide through my body. Now was not the time for me to loose my cool.

"Do you mind if I speak with Anna alone?" Carlisle intervened. I could not help but give Anna an uneasy look. To _be honest, this was the reason I had brought her, so that Carlisle could talk with her, but now that she was here, the thought of departing from her seemed nigh impossible. Hence why I hesistated with my answer._

"Well-"I didn't get to finish my sentence because Anna interrupted.

"Jacob, chill, I am fine" she snapped. "Do you trust me?"

_Chill? She wants me to chill? Like that is possible when your body constantly runs on 108 degrees. I'd like to see her try and cool me down. Actually that's not a bad idea… _JAKE! PAY ATTENTION.

I sensed that Quil and Embry looked uneasy at the question Anna had just asked. I looked at Anna, not knowing what to say.

"I don't think-"

"Let's leave them Jake."Quil interrupted me. "They have things to discuss. When Sam gets here, I am sure Carlisle will explain everything." I could have swung for him, I really could. I saw Anna swallow hard. Carlisle just nodded in agreement with Quil.

"Oh course. I will not take long I assure you. I shall return her to you in the same condition that she is in now." He joked. _His joke certainly wasn't funny and I certainly wasn't laughing. _

I gave Anna an easy smile as she slipped from my contact. I felt the burning pull power through my skin striking me in the pit of my stomach and then to my heart. It didn't hurt so much, it just ached like a bitch. I couldn't describe the feeling – it was more than unusual – it was like a part of me was not there. Not like loosing an arm or a leg, more like loosing a part of your soul – if that's even possible to feel. No, being away from Anna would do me good, maybe even help me calm down. I had to remind myself that I trusted Carlisle. He wouldn't let me down. My life and hers depended on it.

I couldn't help but watch her fragile yet graceful body as she walked up towards the Cullen's house. She looked back at me. Her face was expressionless, but mine certainly wasn't. I was worried; my heart rate had increased and my body was throbbing in more ways than one. I _needed _her. I needed to be close to her. I am not sure whether this desperate want for her is natural or not, but either way, this was killing me. If this is what _imprinting _does to a person, then I am seriously not looking forward to whatever else lies in store for me. It certainly will not be getting any easier. I turned to face Quil and Embry who were staring at me like I had lost the plot. Quil shuffled his feet nervously like he was hiding something. I no longer cared. Nothing mattered to me in this moment – all I wanted was for Anna to get back – and soon.

"Jake mate," Quil began raising his hand to meet my broad shoulder. "What the fuck is going on man?"

_Yeah, right, like I could tell you guys that I had imprinted on a girl that I hardly knew who could possibly be a great danger to us all. _

I might as well hang up my werewolf t-shirt now and leave. I just shook my head not wanting to answer, and I walked over to the nearest tree and slammed my fists against it, bringing my head to meet with the tree. Embry was suddenly at my side. I wasn't in the mood for brotherly torment right now. "Jake, seriously man. We're worried about you and we know something is up so spill." The thing about Embry is that he is always there when I need him, and truly, he is my best friend as well as my brother, but sometimes, he was such a pain.

"Embry, seriously. You don't want to know." I answered harshly, not removing my fists from my tree.

I heard Embry huff next to me. "You tell us everything Jake. And now its like you don't want to tell us anymore—"

"Because there is nothing to tell Embry, so drop it yeah!" I snapped facing him angrily. I could feel my blood pressure rising, and I tried to unclench my fists.

Embry exhaled heavily and then began walking away. "Fine then. If you want to be that way. Lets go Quil." I looked up and saw Embry and Quil as they began to walk off into the distance.

_Fucking great. That's another two members I have successfully managed to piss off today. That brought the total to six. If I kept this up, I would have no gang to go back to. Urgh, life doesn't get much better than this. _

Embry and Quil didn't get far because both there heads shot up when they saw Sam emerge from the forest. They both turned to face me and made there way back over to where I was stood. I leant against the tree, folding my arms across my chest, waiting to accept whatever Sam was going to throw at me. Sam walked briskly over to where we were stood. He didn't look angry, but his face wasn't exactly singing "_If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands_" either. I swallowed hard; I was scared of Sam by any means, but I knew that this encounter was serious.

Sam's nose twitched. "Where is she?," He questioned, looking directly at me.

'She's inside with Dr Fang. He wanted to have a talk with her and I asked him to take a look at hand over the phone.' I responded.

'Yeah, Embry mentioned something about her putting a window through. I guess we underestimated her strength.' Sam tried to sound lighthearted, but I knew deep down he was anything but. He was still going to be wary about Anna and what she was, but he was torn because he knew the situation I was. He knew that I'd imprinted. I guess I should be thankful that he hasn't told any other pack members... _yet._

He muttered before turning to face Quil and Embry. "You two, go into the woods and you'll find Paul and Jared. Just patrol with them for a bit. I need to have a talk with my _B__eta_." He tone of voice was calm, almost reassuring. I knew why he had chosen to speak this way- he was protecting me from whatever humiliation he saw before me. He wanted them to think that we were having an ALPHA BETA conversation about work, but in reality it was going to be anything but. I had been expecting this talk at some point.

"Sure thing Sam." Embry answered, before nudging Quil.

"Just howl if you need us." Sam replied, nodding to them to leave. They followed his order.

"See ya Jake." Quil said as he raced into the woods, with Embry not far behind.

I took a deep breath. It was just me and Sam. Jacob Black and Sam Uley. Beta and the Alpha. It wasn't exactly a compromising position to be in, but then again, neither was the situation to be quite frank. "Let's walk Jake." Sam said, offering me to lead the way. If I had the choice, I would not have moved from that spot, but instead, I began to walk, despite the pulling against my body which didn't seem to agree with my decision. I didn't have a choice – I literally couldn't disobey an Alpha's order or wish. My heart rate increased even more, which was not helping my body temperature at all. "Now Jake, I want you tell me everything," Sam began. "And let's not cut any corners."

That's when I knew that this conversation wasn't only just about what I had done. He wanted to know _everything. _Was I really prepared to tell him everything? I wasn't sure I had a choice in the matter. As I walked a little further with my Alpha following behind me, I remembered a little song by The Beatles called "**All you need is Love."**

_Right, well I am gonna need a tombstone with my name on it because after this conversation, I am so dead._


	14. Chapter Twelve

JACOB POV

**LIFE DEALS YOU SOME SHIT HANDS. I ALWAYS SEEM TO BE GETTING THE JOKER.**

Time works in strange ways.

Sometimes it can go so quickly that you don't even have time to stop it, meanwhile other times it goes so slow that it feels like it is going backwards. And sometimes, it can knee you right where it hurts so hard that you scream blue murder. Well that was what I felt this talk was going to be like with Sam.

I led the way, not distancing myself too far from him, but not exactly keeping my contact too close. Once again, I felt that agonising strain on my body which was pulling me in the other direction, back towards the Cullen's house. I cursed under my breath, keeping my head down, trying to ignore it. I stopped when I reached the clearing where we had fought the newborns a few months ago. I had to stop. If I went any further, I feared my muscles would detatch themselves from my bones and tear me into tiny sections.

I heard Sam stop behind me."This seems a good place to stop," Sam said moving forward to stand next to me. He ushered me over towards a large rock and we both sat. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Sam. I felt a mixture of embarassment, anxiety and anger; for some reason, I knew that if I had been in any other situation, I would be blaming Anna for all of these feelings, but I couldn't even bring myself to do that. I could never blame her for anything. This was all my fault for _imprinting_ on her! The only thing I hated about this stupid fucked up wolf gene was this _imprinting_ buisness. Well, that, and the lack of privacy.

Myself and Sam sat there in silence for a few minutes, looking out towards the forest. Sometimes, you forget how beautiful the world is, but then again, it is said that beauty is often cruel. And that's exactly what Anna is to me; she is the beautiful object that I want but that I know deep down, I can't. This is how cruelty truly works.

Suddenly, I heard Sam exhale - a perfect signal that he was about to speak."It gets easier you know." He muttered under his breath. I looked sideways at him and I saw how his dark pupils glared at mine, but not in a threatening way. It was almost like he was trying to reassure me. I shrugged my shoulders not really knowing what to say. Sam knew the story – I didn't feel like I had to repeat myself.

I turned away from Sam's eye contact. "Does it?" I scoffed, running my fingers through my messy hair, attempting to seek some sort of false hope.

"It's a struggle at first to try and balance the emotional strain with the physical strain,' Sam spoke. 'When I first _imprinted _on Emily, I felt my whole life was _finally_ complete. I didn't feel empty like I had done all those years with Leah. My life seemed, _right _somehow."

I pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my head on my arm, listening to Sam, but still not looking at him."And it didn't feel _right_ with Leah?" I asked curiously. Deep down, I already knew the answer to that question. My eye strayed to where Sam was sitting, and this time, Sam looked up into the sky, not making any eye contact with me. That worried me slightly. _Why don't I ever think before I open my mouth? _I watched Sam as he exhaled deeply, rolling his eyes – a clear sign that he was annoyed.

"Jake, what you have to understand is that I _loved_ Leah – I still do -but she isn't right for me and I am not right for her. People shouldn't be together for the wrong reasons. Emily is _my reason_ for being now, along with you, the pack and the residents of La Push," Sam paused breathing in the light afternoon breeze."Between you and me Jake, the thought even being apart from Emily for a second scares the life out me because I'm so scared I am going to lose her. _Imprinting_ makes us react in different ways. It's what defines each one of us."

I thought about what Sam said. It did make sense. _Imprinting_ does make you react in strange ways – that's why I felt a large strain on my body whenever I parted myself from Anna. It didn't hurt like a cut or a sore; it just ached like every bone in body was useless. It was a difficult pain to describe, but I am sure that Sam or Quil would understand. Quil had _imprinted _on Emily's cousin Claire and minus the almost fifteen year age gap between them both, Quil had come to terms with it all really well. I guess I was just the unlucky sod who had to be stuck with a pair of shit cards.

Jacob Black - the guy who fell in love with a leech. _You couldn't write the script for this kinda shit._

"How long did you feel like that for?" I questioned further I wasn't sure how long I could stick out this whole "emotional-physical" strain business for. Sam turned to face me, his eyes more calm now. "It doesn't really go away, you just kinda—_adapt_ to it. It becomes like a part of your routine, like a part of soul. That's what _imprinting_ is Jake. It makes your soul complete and trust me when I tell you, it's a difficult thing to tamper with. The more you wanna let go, the harder it gets. It will just come naturally so you are just going to have to let it run its course."

"Well that should be bloody easy seeing as she is leaving in a week' I muttered sarcastically.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, his voice sounded more concerned.

I sighed heavily, causing my body to ache once more."I made a deal with her that I she had to stay for a week and then if she wanted to leave then I wouldn't stop her." I ran my fingers through my messy hair once again.

"Well, "Sam said, shaking his head. "How do you feel about that?"

_How the hell could I feel anything? I couldn't keep her a prisoner forever. I also couldn't force her to return the love I so blatantly shared for her, so the only thing I could do is let her go. _

"_How_ can I feel Sam?" I replied, a sense of agitation on my voice. "I can't force her to stay here and be with me. I just-I just have no idea what I have gotten myself into here! Why her? Why me?" I got up, my body shaking in anger at the situation. I got to my feet and began pacing angrily. 

_What was the point in having something only to give it away? _

I turned back to face Sam. 'And the fact she is _one of them _makes it all the harder! Of the all girls I could have _imprinted_ on, I had to _imprint _on the fucking enemy!' I could feel the blood racing through my veins. My heart as thudding against my chest at such an alarming rate. Who knew _imprinting _has this effect on people?

"Jake, mate, calm down," Sam said calmly getting up onto his feet and grabbing my arm with is. "We have no control over who we _imprint_ on. That's just how life is."

Oh the irony. _Life deals you some shit hands – I always seem to be getting the joker. _

I managed to calm myself down, long enough before I did something stupid. My mind ticked with a million and one thoughts and not one of them wasn't related to Anna.

Sam's hand relaxed on my arm. 'I'm not gonna lie Jake. You sure know how to pick 'em!" Sam broke a smile, which made me smile in response. He was right. There were only two girls I had ever had feelings. One _prefered_ vampires, and the other, my imprint, _was_ a vampire.

'I know you probably feel like the shittest person in the world right now, but I'm proud of you Jake. Usually new imprinters are not so controlled as yourself."

I squinted my eyes at him, not fully understanding him. "How so?"

Sam smirked. "Well, let's just say, they don't call it _doggy style_ for nothing."

As much as felt my groin twist at the thought of being in that sitaution with Anna, I laughed half-heartedly at Sam. I took my seat on the rock again and all I could I think was how great it was that I hadn't phased today. I don't think it would have been a good sight for my brothers to see what kind of desires were running through my head.

'Sam, believe me; I would lying if it hadn't crossed my mind once or twice." I sighed looking down at the dusty ground of the clearing.

I wanted nothing more than to _be _with her – _like that._ The guys would have treated it as a joke and would have laughed it off blaming the high levels of testosterone in my body, but I didn't want to just have her physically, I wanted _all _of her. I wanted to _kiss _her and _touch_ her and show her what it was like to love somebody. I wanted to taste her lips, taste her skin... Well that was _never_ going to happen, so I was wasting my time even thinking about such a ludicrous fantasy.

"Well enough of this jokey stuff. Let's be serious," Sam said, changing his tone of voice and taking his seat next to me. "We need to make a decision here, and a very important at that. You see, I will make no attempt at hiding the fact that I _don't like vampires_. Not even a little bit, however the Cullens, I will make an exception for. If Carlisle is truthful, like I am sure he will be, and he assures me that this girl is no threat to us or La Push then I see no reason why she cannot stay for as long as she wishes-"

I barked a false laugh. "I can see that going down like a ton of bricks, especially with Leah and Paul." I interrupted him. As if Leah or Paul were going to listen to any of this bullshit. Paul was not in my best books even on good days and Leah, well, Leah was like an itch that was never satisfied no matter how hard you scratched it.

"This isn't about Leah _or_ Paul, Jake. It's about _you._ I am sure they would see it differently if they found out she was your _imprint_-"

"No you cannot tell them!" I hissed, causing Sam to back away slightly.

"What do you mean Jake? Why don't you want them to know?" Sam questioned.

_Think of an excuse. Fast. _

"Because it won't matter because she is leaving in a few days, just like she said. I am not going to influence her decision." I slummed my hands to the side of my body. _Great, I was now sulking like a child._

"And how do you know she doesn't harbor similar feelings?" Sam questioned. '_Imprinting_ changes everything Jake. I need you to understand that. You cannot lock your feelings in a box and hide it in the back of your tiny brain just like you did with Bella. This is a whole different ball game. She is now a huge part of your life and nothing can alter that. I'm sure she has already picked up on the fact that you are attracted to her.'

Urgh. I couldn't even face him. That was it now._ It was public humiliation and there wasn't even a public around to observe this humiliation._

Sam stepped forward and I sensed him behind me."You haven't told her anything have you?" Sam questioned authouritively.

I didn't want to face him. I couldn't face him. I shook my head as I felt my body sting with the strain once more. I wasn't going to last much longer at this rate.

"Jake, this is serious. I know you think this is crazy—"

"Well clearly not because it's happened to me!" I snapped turning to facemy Alpha. I sensed that Sam could see how distraught I was and of all the people I could have picked to start an emotional banter with, I was glad in this moment that he had chosen me.

"I take it she know nothing about us? What we _are_ I mean?' Sam questioned.

"I don't know. If she does she hasn't said anything. I noticed her nose twitch earlier after Quil and Embry phased back from being wolves. I suppose that's probably natural if she is what you think she is." I saw Sam out of the corner of my eye as he gave an uneasy sigh.

'Well maybe we won't have to tell her. Maybe Dr Fang will see to it himself. He may pass information on to her.' I watched Sam pace away from me.

I folded my arms tightly across my chest. I was getting far too emotional for my own liking. I was not about to let my emotions rule me. I was Jacob Black, and I had dealt with being hurt before, so I could deal with this. "What happens if she isn't what we all think? What if she is-_dangerous?"_ I questioned Sam. For some reason, I could never ever think about her like that. She wasn't evil; I knew she wasn't. She wouldn't hurt anybody, at least, I wanted to believe she wouldn't. But what if we had gotten it all wrong? What if she was some pyscho vampire with an unruly appetite? What if she wasn't a vampire at all? Were there other supernatural beings in this world apart from werewolves and vampires? 

_Was there anything more dangerous than a bloodthirsty vampire? _

Sam turned to face me, and by the look on his face, I could tell that whatever he was about to say, was not something I wanted to hear. "Jake mate—" Sam approached me. 'If that turns out to be the case, and Anna is more dangerous than what we believe, you have to understand that I, as the Alpha of this pack, have a duty to protect my family. La Push is _my family_, and I know it's yours too Jake. And if the only way to keep our family protected is to kill her then that's what will have to done—"

_That was it. He didn't need to finish his sentence. It was blatantly obvious where he was heading with this. _Nobody was going to lay a finger on Anna, and if they even so much as thought about it then they would have to kill me in the process. I felt my body shake again, and I needed to get back to that house to avoid any physical blows with Sam. "I don't need to listen to this!" I snapped and I turned away from Sam and headed back towards the house at an immense speed, despite the strain which had entangled itself around my body again.

I heard Sam follow me, so I broke out into a faster sprint.

"Jake come'on. We can discuss this—" Sam shouted from behind me.

_I blocked him out._ I blocked everything out. I just kept running. I saw the house and my car and I felt the tension ease off from my body knowing that I was closer to Anna than I was five minutes ago. I saw that Embry and Quil had returned and their eyes widened as they saw me running towards them.

"Hey Jake. Is everything okay?" Quil asked. _What a stupid fucking question at a stupid fucking time! _I slowed down and tried to catch my breath when Sam caught me up.

"Jake—" He said through his pants.

"Just leave it Sam!" I hissed, balling my fists up by my side.

"Guys whats going on?" Embry asked curiously. I turned to face Sam and gave him a look of disapproval.

"Nothing for you to worry about Em - _yet." _Sam hissed back in response.

Embry rolled his eyes. "So what? Is nobody telling _us_ anything nowadays?" Embry moaned.

"Em, shut it yeah?" Sam snapped.

I growled from the pit of my chest. I know Embry was annoyed, but he didn't need to be spoken too like that.

Sam gave me a sympathetic look. "Jake, we need to discuss this properly-"

I blocked him out again as I heard the front door open, and the powerful stench of vampire hit my nostrils, burning my senses. That smell was soon forgotten when I saw Anna. Her warm lavender scent seemed to reclaim my senses back, easing me into a false sense of security.

"Looks like we may not have to." I said through gritted teeth as I saw Carlisle walking behind Anna. I felt my stomach burn and it did a million flip flops in the space of a second. The power she had over me was enough to make any man go insane. I heard Sam sniff- the smell was getting to him.I couldn't help but feel overcome with waves of intense emotion as I saw her walking towards me; a sense of hesitation lay in her newly coloured eyes. I wanted to wrap my arms around her body and hold her close and never let go. But it was never going to be that easy.

_Nothing was ever that easy._


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight or any of its characters apart from the ones that I created. I wouldn't mind buying Jacob Black, Edward Cullen or Jasper Hale from Stephenie. I will pay her one dollar :)

**PLEASE REVIEW**. The more reviews I get, the more Jacob Black goodness you shall receive ;)

* * *

ANNA POV 

**LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL? IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT? WOW, MY NICKNAMES ARE GETTING COOLER BY THE DAY.**

All four of them glared at me as I walked towards them. I felt the pull on my body drawing me towards Jake's beating heart. That's when I knew I was looking into the face of Sam - the 'Sam' I had been so anxious to finally meet. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my body.

This 'heart jumping out my body' feeling seemed to stick with me as I continued walking towards the four huge boys. Well, I couldn't really call them boys. _Giants _was probably the correct terminology. Jacob stood closer to me than the others and Carlisle stood behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder. I gave Jake a short smile as Quil and Embry stood back allowing Sam to pass through them towards me. I was usually very good at reading people's face, but Sam's face troubled me.

"You must be Sam?" I asked, holding my hand out to greet him. Sam just looked at my hand like I had spoken some foreign language. I mean, fair enough I was English, but, cut me some slack. He hesitated, looking at Jacob, who for some reason had his hands balled into fists, before extending his own out his own hand to meet mine. I felt a shock of heat flow up my arm as I contacted with his hand. Jesus, these guys were really exceeding a healthy temperature. _Ha! Yeah, like I was one to talk. _

Carlisle stepped forward as Sam released my hand. "Ah, Sam. Glad you could make it. I see you are looking well," Carlisle said kindly. "Do tell me, how is Emily?"

Sam bared his teeth, before relaxing his face. "She is well. I thank you for your compliments."

I _was guessing Emily was his girlfriend or wife. Not that I really cared. _

Carlisle smiled kindly. "Well that is good to know. Anyway, I understand why you have come. On a note of order, I have spoken with Anna and aided her health. It seems she had not fed for some time, hence why you found her in the state you did. She is a little more dependant than ourselves when it comes to her feeding habits.' Carlisle paused, but his hand still remained on my shoulder. My eyes remained on Jacob. 'I understand, considering the nature of what Anna is, that if your tribe would consider her to be unwelcome on your lands, then she is more than welcome to stay with my family here in Forks-'

I saw Jake's turn completely black and he growled in response to Carlisle's offer. I watched as Sam calmed him by patting him on the shoulder before he turned to face myself and Carlisle. "If you don't mind Carlisle, I have asked the others to meet us here so you can personally reassure them that she will not pose as a threat to my people. As you understand, this is not necessarily a question of her being a vampire, but rather if she exceeds what _we_ deem as being dangerous. The safety of La Push and Forks is what is most important to me.'

_Others? What others? Since when did my presence become some sort of social gathering? _

Carlisle inhaled deeply. "Oh course Sam. However, as you understand, I simply ask for no trouble today if you wouldn't mind." Carlisle answered gently.

Sam nodded.

_Trouble? I wish somebody would tell me what the fuck was going on here. _

Suddenly without any warning a foul smell began to abuse my senses. It burnt my nostrils and it was the same smell that I had smelt earlier when I was sat next to Quil and Embry. I was hurting my throat and I swear Carlisle could smell it too.

_What was with these Native American humans smelling so bad? Well accept Jake. Jake just smelt delicious._ _I wish he did smell bad, then I would not have such an urge to want to drain his beautiful body dry. _

I closed my eyes and I saw them coming before anybody else did.

Emerging from the narrow woods, were four figures; three males and one female. The female was stunning; she was tall and had thick ebony hair which was cut to her shoulders. I noticed her skin was lighter than any of the boys and her bone structure was undeniably perfect. The three boys were equally as tall, except two of the boys were more muscular than the other one. He must have been the youngest of the bunch; he couldn't have been any older than fifteen, maybe sixteen and he was sporting a backpack. The two older ones were dark skinned, both with shiny black hair. The tallest one had shorter hair, which was sprouting out in little tufts on the top of his head. The other had short hair, but plenty of it in terms of thickness. Both of them had deep set dark eyes. The tallest one and the girl did not seem happy to be here. I got a serious bad vibe from them - We were certainly not going to get along. I knew the only thing the female wanted to do was lunge for my thoat and that was only that was the only visual going through her head. She couldn't deny it if I ever decided to menion it to her - my power could not be mistaken.

I heard Jake curse under his breath as the foursome closed in. Carlisle's grip on my shoulder loosened as they approached. The youngest boy was the first to arrive. He seemed nervous, but he walked straight up to me as if he'd known me for years. "I'm Seth." He announced his name and held out his hand. I was suprised by his forward nature. I scanned his brain and I was amazed. No negative visuals. Not a single thought about how to kill me.

I looked over at Jake who nodded, so I held mine out to him and shook it. "I'm Anna. Nice to meet you." I replied, introducing myself to Seth. Seth flushed a light pink colour before stepping back so he was wedged in between Jake and Sam. Okay, so far so good. I had a good vibe from this other three stood behind Sam, each one of them looking as pissed off as the next. The girl especially was giving me the biggest vibe out of all of them. She didn't move her eyes off me; not for a second.

"Hello Dr Cullen," Seth spoke again. "How is Edward?"

The name 'Edward' struck me.

Carlisle simply smiled at Seth's question. "He is very well thank you Seth. From what he told me this morning, he and Bella arrived safely and they are enjoying their honeymoon very much."

_Ah, so Edward did marry Bella. I couldn't help but wonder whether or not they had changed her yet?_

I watched as Jake's face dropped and I saw a glint of sadness flash across his eyes, but only for a second_. _

_"_Seth-" The girl hissed. "Just shut up. You don't need to suck up to these-" She didn't finish her sentence as one of the boys pushed her. I glared her. There was something about this girl that I didn't like, and she had made it pretty clear that she didn't like me. The different ways she was planning my death was fairly amusing.

"Sorry about her. She must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Sam muttered.

_Clearly she had. I could not disagree with Sam there. _

"Wrong side of the _kennel_ more like." Jacob whispered, but loud enough so that everybody else could hear.

The female turned to face him, and her eyes were jet black. "I suppose you think this is really funny _Jakey_." She mocked.

_Jakey. Was she serious? _

"No...I..." Jake didn't finish he sentence because he was interrupted by Sam. "Leah, I think I speak on Jake's behalf when I say that nothing about this is _funny_. It's serious and we need to all be clear on this. So please allow Carlisle to speak." Sam's words seemed to have an impact of this group, but I had a feeling that Leah was not planning on keeping quiet for very long. I saw hatred that filled her eyes.

"Why? Does this _thing_ have a problem speaking for _itself_?" Leah said through gritted teeth.

_I was not too keen on how she was referring to me as a 'thing'. It wasn't doing wonders for my anger problem. _

I stepped forward, despite Carlisle holding onto my shoulder once more, restraining me. _"_What exactly is _your _problem?" I asked abruptly.

Leah bared her teeth at me and stepped forward.

Nobody was stopping her.

"So _it_ does have a voice," Leah sneered. " Well, _m_y problem is with _things _like _you._"

_Things like me? _I rolled my eyes. "You mean _vampires_?" I saw Leah shuddered at the word. There was an awkward pause between us and all I could hear were a number of heartbeats pounding like a song together.

Leah stood her ground, rolling her eyes. _"Leeches, bloodsuckers, parasites_….what's the difference eh?" Leah spat.

I ran my tongue along my sharp teeth. _If only she knew how dangerous I actually was._ I swallowed hard not allowing myself to stoop as low as her.

"Oh, and your smell goes beyond _hell._" Leah continued.

I smiled smugly. "Well you know what? You don't exactly smell like a bed of roses either, but you don't hear me complaining do you?"

I heard Jake, Quil and Embry snigger. Leah's eyes raged. "Stop singgering Jake! Just because you lot are like _pathetic lap dogs_ around her doesn't mean we all have to be!" Leah snapped. Sam grabbed her, pulling her back.

"Leah, shut it yeah?" Sam snapped, stepping in.

"Yeah, down _bitch_." I heard Embry mutter causing them to break into laughter. I smiled at Embry's comment. Leah snarled at me before moving herself back, leaving just Sam, Jake, Seth and Embry close to me. Carlisle stepped by my side, placing his hand on my shoulder. I saw Jake's body flinch and I sensed he was anxious.

_Why was he so anxious? His vibe felt unhealthy to me. _

"Carlisle, I apologise for that unecessary interuption,' he aimed his words at Leah. 'Please begin."

Carlisle stepped forward. "Thank you Sam. Now, this is Anna De Lancey. She is the daughter of a good friend of mine from England whom I used to work with in the hospital when I was working away in Alaska. Human of course, but nonetheless a lovely fellow. Anna here is very close with my family; in fact, we treat her like one of our own. However we lost contact after with her family after she moved back to England."

I hated that Carlisle was lying for me. I deserve my skin to be saved, especially not by the Cullens. After everything we had gone through, how could Carlisle still think of me as part of his family?

"But that still doesn't explain why she is _half and half_ does is Cullen?" The large boy with short hair spoke up. _Arrogant prick. _'We need to know if her family are vampires too.'

"Well, I was just getting to that, if you would let me finish Paul," Carlisle responded. "Unfortunetly, Anna's family are all dead. Many of her relatives died due to medical reasons before Anna herself was turned.'

'If you turned her, doesn't that mean that the treaty is breached?' The guy with slightly thicker hair spoke up curiously. I remembered that Carlisle had told me that he had a treaty with these people, but he mentioned nothing about them objecting to the Cullen's turning people. I saw that the group seemed eager to hear Carlisle's response to this question.

'Anna was not turned by any member of my family, I assure you of that. She was turned by another vampire, and it was only by chance, that myself and Edward found Anna just in time to save her,' I felt Carlisle's hand contact with shoulder once more. I could not believe he was covering for me. It was more than I deserved. ' Furthermore, in answer to your question about her breed, unlike the rest of my family who were bitten and the venom successfully spread, Anna's body didn't have that same response, which left her with only a certain dosage of venom in her body. This meant that she only transformed depending on how far the venom had spread around her body. This left her as she is now. She is more vampire than human, so to say that she is half human and half vampire is not _technically correct_."

"So basically, she is just like _you_, except she has a beating heart and has a lot of qualities that are human like?" The guy with the thicker hair questioned again.

"That is exactly what I am saying Jared," Carlisle replied.

Leah stepped in. "So she is what? Some sort of bat out of hell?" Paul scoffed at her comment. I scoffed also.

"Really? Is that the best you have got?" I asked sarcastically. "I have to confess, that's the best nickname I have had in a _long_ time. "

My eyes returned in Jacob's direction. He wasn't looking me, but shuffling his feet impatiently. I wish I could have read his mind; I wanted so desperately to know what he was thinking. All I could understand about him was the vibes he gave me, and right now, his vibes were sending me all over the shot.

"Okay, so we get what _she is_," Paul spoke up, causing my eyes to stir from Jake. "The main thing we need to know is, is she going to be a threat to us, because I certainly do not want to have some raging bloodsucker in La Push. We have our families to think about."

I heard Jake growl at this comment. _He wasn't happy_. _His vibes were driving me crazy._

For some reason I was beginning to think Paul and Leah were part of some egoistic cult. The **"WE HATE VAMPIRES BUT WE DON'T CARE BECAUSE ARE BIG-HEADED AND SHALLOW" CLUB.**

_Seriously, attitude problems galore. _

"Unlike many of our kind that I have met, Anna has amazing self control, and best of all, she is a _vegetarian,_ just like my family." I smirked at Carlisle's little vegetarian comment. He had always referred to his family and myself as being _vegetarian vampires_ – a decision that had not gone down well with my fellow Volturi 'brethren' back in Volterra. "Therefore she only drinks the blood of animals. All I ask is that you allow her to hunt if she so wishes. She is not like us in that way; we hunt every few weeks. As a human, Anna suffered from anaemia which is a human ondition which appears to have follwed her into this life. So unlike us, she has more than one motive for needing to hunt, purely because she is likely to fall ill without it. She is also able to consume human food, but if she wishes to hunt I will even accompany her myself."

_An anaemic vampire? And you think you've heard it all. _

Jake's vibe switched again. I could not keep up with this guy. _He was fucking emotion machine. _

"Oh course, as long as you stick to the—rules Doctor, I see know reason why she cannot hunt, as long as you stay clear of our lands, as in the agreement of out treaty. I should mention however, that Jake has informed me that Anna will not be staying for very long,' Sam turned to face me. 'Is this true Anna?'

I felt Jake's eyes on me, but I didn't look at him. I wasn't about to allow him to make me feel guilty. He didn't understand. I had to leave, to protect this place, and myself. 'I hope to leave within the week.'

'Well, in that case, if you wish to hunt at any point during that time, you have my permission.' Sam nodded at me. I nodded back, thanking him without any need for words.

Carlisle continued. "Just like ordinary humans, our emotions have a tendency of take over us sometimes. Anna is no different, so please treat her as you would treat any you would us."

"Well that should be easy enough-" Leah muttered, before Jake ceased control, moving over towards Leah.

"Leah! Do our ears all a favour and just shut up the fuck up and keep your opinions to yourself." He growled viciously. I had never seen Jake shout like that before. Having only known him for a few hours, his outburst was almost... animalistic I guess that's male dominance for you.

"Jake, man, pull it together, please." Sam grabbed hold of Jake's strong arm and pulled him back. He made eye contact with me again and he just gave me a blank face. Jake apologized and Sam nodded.

"I guess there is nothing left to discuss Carlisle. All those in favour of Anna returning to La Push with us, raise your hands."

I felt nervous after Sam had said those words– I felt llike my fate was being decided. Jake shot his hand into the air, Embry and Quil didn't waste much time either. The youngest guy Seth raised his hand, shooting me a smile as he did. Jared slowly raised his hand, leaving just Leah and Paul with this arms crossed across their chests. It really didn't surprise me. They didn't like me and wasn't particularly fond of them. I gazed as Jake, biting my lip. Slowly Paul raised his hand, however Leah didn't budge.

"Oh come on Leah. Don't be so stuck up. Just give Anna a chance." Seth moaned. Leah still didn't budge.

"No, why should I? As if we don't have enough _leeches _roaming the place left, right and centre, we now have to deal with this one who is coming back to live on our lands? I am sorry, but I don't agree with it Sam." She snapped.

I respected her honesty, but her attitude didnt help to improve my already shitty mood.

"Well it is just as well that nobody cares what you think then doesn't it Leah?" Jake hissed at her. Jake seemed to be defending my case a lot. _I appreciated it more than I should. _

"Majority vote. Anna stays with us, until she decides to leave." Sam finalized the decision.

_Well you wouldn't be waiting long Sam. I was away in less than seven days. _

Leah huffed loudly at this. I huffed too.

_Where did my decision come in to all of this? Oh right. I remember. I made a deal with Jake. Seven days spent at La Pus. I'm sure I can last that long. _

Carlisle patted me on the shoulder and I turned to face him. "Are you happy with that Anna?"

My eyes shot towards Jake again. He wanted me to stay. His vibe was telling me to stay. "Yes oh course." I answered.

"Okay then, I guess everything is at hand here." Carlisle said kindly. "I thank you Sam for your hospitality towards Anna."

Sam just seemed to smile uneasily. "No problem Carlisle. Anything to keep the peace."

Sam nudged Jake. Jake stepped forward. "Thank you Carlisle, for everything. And for seeing to Anna's hand. I am grateful for your help."

Carlisle shook Jake's hand. "You are more than welcome. Like I said, Anna is like family to us. And she has assured me that she will not be breaking any more windows any time soon.'

Jake simply nodded. Sam had ordered for everybody to leave now, so everybody followed his order; it was like he was some sort of Alpha male amongst this group of people. Jake looked at me, and smiled beautifully; his white teeth send shivers down my spine. I wasn't used to anybody making me feel like that. I smiled back before I was interrupted by Seth.

"Anna, I guess I am more than happy to give you this back." He handed me a small bag. _My bag._ How could I forgotten about this?

"I wondered where this had got to," I said examining my bag. It had everything I had brought with me; all of my important belongings and things I had kept. _Family photos, money, passport, jewellery, everything that I had ever treasured_. I caught a scent on the bag. It smelled like _them._ Then it occurred to me.

"Seth, how did you get hold of this?" I asked trying to remain calm. Seth looked uneasy as I asked him this. He looked to Jake seeking for an answer. I turned to face Jake, who too was looking uneasy. "Jake?" I asked seeking an answer from him.

"Anna, I wanted to tell you. When we found you that night, Sam wanted to examine your bag. He panicked, he didn't know what you were…none of us did…and he just wanted to see if there was anything that would….well…_help _us." Jake stuttered. "We just needed to know."

I held my bag close to me. The thought that somebody had been through _my bag, my stuff._ I had left Volterra because invasion of privacy was one the problems and now it was happening to all over again.

_That deal I had made with Jake? Well, the deal was off. _

I just glared at Jake.

"Jake, I am sorry for placing you in awkward position." Seth said.

"It's okay Seth. You get going home." Jacob urged. Seth nodded awkwardly before running after the others. I remained staring at Jake as Sam walked over.

"We'll see you later then Jake. I'll give you a call. Embry and Quil will be …_around _tonight yeah?" I had lost interest in their conversation. Jacob nodded. Before Sam walked off, he gave me sublte smile. 'Enjoy your stay at La Push Anna.' He said kindly, and I nodded at Sam as he walked off towards the woods. My eyes returned to where Jake was stood. "I will wait for you over there." He indicated towards the car, brushing past me.

I held my bag tighter to me, but the smell was getting to me big time, so I just held it by my side. "Will you be okay?" Carlisle asked me affectionately. I looked away from him and towards Jake who was standing leaning against his car waiting for me.

"I guess so." I muttered. I wasn't really sure how I was feeling right now.

"Well, you know where we are, and you are more than welcome to stop by anytime. I am sure the rest of family would understand."

I scoffed. "I am sure Edward would have a field day." I hissed.

Carlisle sensed my hurt."He'll come around…_eventually_." He said kindly, trying to reassure me. I had been trying to reassure myself for some time that Edward would eventually forgive me what had happened all those years ago, but he still hadn't and probably never would. Another reason I needed to leave. Edward may be away on his honeymoon, but honeymoons don't last forever.

"I won't get my hopes too high Carlisle," I shuffled my feet. I turned and faced Jake who was still waiting for me. I sighed. "I should go."

Carlisle smiled. "Oh course. Just keep remembering what I said Anna."

I smiled and turned to walk over to Jake who reacted immediately, running the other side of his car and opening the door. I opened the door and got in. I fastened my seatbelt and watched as Carlisle drifted into the horizon as I left the Cullen land and back to La Push.

* * *

It was an awkward car journey with Jake. I just sat there, not speaking. In all fairness, I had nothing to say to him and it was killing me now to not lunge for his throat. His delicious soft throat…

I heard Jacob's phone ring. Stupidly he answered it, depsite the fact he was driving.

'Hey dad,' Jacob's husky voice answered the phone. 'Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just driving back to the house now...'

I was tryingt to pay no attention to Jacob or his phone conversation, but this constant aching was making it difficult. As much as I wanted to hate the sound of his voice, there was something, dare I say, sexy about it. It was mysterious. I wanted to erase these silly teenage girl thoughts, but I couldn't. It was driving me crazy.

'You're not coming back tonight? Oh, you're at Quil's again? Yeah thats cool. I'm sure Sam will fill you in when he gets there.'

Great_. Alone with Jake in a house. With two huge boys guarding the house. This night was going to fun….absolutely thrilling. _

'Well Quil and Embry will be round tonight so don't worry. Well I'll see you tomorrow morning then. Bye' Jacob put his cell back into his jean pocket. Those awfully tight jeans...

I closed my eyes and pressed my head against the cool glass of Jacob's car window and I listened to the rain as it drizzled down the window. When we pulled up outside Jacob's small red house, I didn't even wait for him to turn the engine off. Slamming the car door, I walked into Jacob's house and began racing impatiently down the corridor. I heard Jake slam the front door and I felt his heat steadily approach from behind me, calling after me.

"Look, I am so sorry." He muttered sympathetically. _I didn't need his sympathy_. He had just completely embarrassed me in front all of his dumb stupid La Push friends. _How could he do that to me?_ Now that they all knew what I was, it just seemed to make me even more of an outcast. And the best thing was, was that I had to stay here for another seven days!

I turned around to face him. "Look, you don't understand how embarrassing that was for me. I think your friends have made it pretty clear what they think about me Jacob and to be honest, I don't actually need your sympathy. So do me a favour. Leave me alone." I hissed at him. I turned away from him, not truly comprehending the effect of my words. Deep down, the last thing I wanted was for him to leave me alone. It was just my vampire side getting the better of me. I knew that Jacob had every intention of following me. His visual was practically screaming his actions at me.

I nearly made it to Rebecca's room when Jacob grabbed hold of my wrist. He spun me around, pressing me against the wall gently. Now considering that Jacob's corridor is not exactly the widest, the fact that I was pushing against his hard chest simply created more friction between us so I relaxed my body, exhaling slowly. His body was dangerously close to mine. I could feel his beating heart pressed against my hand, and his breathing was in synchronisation with his heart. His body towered slightly over me, but I didn't feel scared. _I was more scared for him._ His smell was even more distinctive to me than ever before. I wasn't thirsty but his blood was unlike any other blood I had ever known. This what it must have felt like for Edward. I remember when he came to see us in Italy asking us to take away his life. That was the first time I had met Bella.

_La Tua Cantante_ Aro called it. Her blood sang for Edward and now it seemed like Jake's blood was doing that to me. Not just his blood – his body was crying out for me; as was mine for him. If only he knew what he was doing to me. I am sure that if he knew what kind of position he was putting himself in, he wouldn't be so keen to order himself an early grave. I just stared into his dark eyes and I almost forgot why I was mad with him…..

…_and then I remembered_.

"Just listen to me Anna. They will come around, I swear. Just give them some time." Jacob pleaded, his rhythmic voice enticed me. I couldn't help but feel for him.

I sighed. "Tell me something Jacob. When exactly were you planning on telling me that I had my bag searched?"

Jake just hung his head. "I'm sorry. It was just procedure and Sam-we needed to know that you weren't-"

I interrupted him quickly. "That I wasn't what? More dangerous to you than I already am?" I snapped.

Jake's face dropped but his grip did not loosen on my wrist. "Look, we know the truth now. We trust Carlisle and more importantly, you are part human. It's not even like you are full vampire."

_T__ruth? _Jesus Jacob. You don't even know the half of it.

"Jacob, just let me go please." I gave him a dangerous look and he sighed in defeat removing his hands off me. I pushed past him making my way to his sister's room.

"I guess we can talk in the morning then?" Jacob asked.

I haulted. _Yeah, because I was going to be here in the morning. _

"Whatever Jacob." I continued shaking my head. I opened Rebecca's bedroom door and slammed it as I shut it, leaving a very confused Jacob outside. I threw myself onto the bed and covered my face with my arms. I listened to Jake as stayed outside the bedroom door. His heart was racing. I heard him sigh before walking off in the opposite direction to his bedroom. I listened as I heard him lay on his bed. He was going to sleep. That was a good thing. I didn't want him to go – no matter how much of a bad mood I was in, Jacob leaving me was not the wisest of ideas. I could hear his breathing which soon became a soft snore as he drifted off to sleep. He was entirely relaxed as he slept but I knew he wasn't going to leave me. I rolled my eyes to the back of my head – the sound of his breathing made me feel relaxed and my nerves seemed to calm. The anger was gone and as I began to drift, I thought back to Leah's comment earlier.

"_So what are you then? Some sort of weird bat out of hell?"_

_No Leah._ I am so bad that even hell won't take me.

I laughed gently as my head sank into the pillow. I lay there for some time, my mind blank as ever. When I was turned, I didn't dream very regularly. Sometimes, not being able to dream was not as bad as everybody thought. It meant that I never had any nightmares – but it also meant that I could never dream about my fantasy life. I could never dream having children. _Nothing like that._

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. This was not going to work. I sat up and began removing my clothes. I moved over to Rebecca's wardrobe and began to rummage through her stuff. I found a pair of shorts and a camisole. That would do for tonight. As I changed I could hear could hear rustlimg oustide. I glanced put of the window – my eyes analysed the darkness in seconds. I turned my back on against the windowsill. I couldn't help but think I was clearly missing something. I thought back to what Carlisle had said before. The words he had spoken came rushing back to my mind.

"_La Push has its defenses, and we have ours."_

"_It just so happened that Ephriam Black was the one that caught us." _

"_That's right. Jacob's grandfather."_

"…_Alice is blind when it comes to the Quilete boys and their, well, forms."_

"_Oh course there are always those who disapprove of what we do and what we are, but everybody is entitled to their own opinion."_

"_I think I have said too much. Why don't you discuss this with Jacob?"_

I exhaled deeply as my mind spun. These thoughts got me thinking. _What was going on here?_ Vampires and humans _do not_ associate yet somehow, despite an obvious dislike, these Quiletes seemed to be on civil terms? _Why?_ And what was this treaty truly about? The one thing that had stuck in my mind since I left the Cullens was the fact that Carlisle had referred to the Quilete boys _forms._ Was it possible that there was more to these boys than I had first thought?

I looked out of the window once more. _Nothing._ Just vibes – _but they weren't Jacob's vibes_. This was something strange and new to me. It wasn't familiar to me. I walked back over to the bed and sat down. I listened to Jake's breathing through the walls; so distinctive, so soothing. As I alid down onto the mattress, I remembered why I had run away to begin with. Did I really want to pack up my stuff up and leave again? If Carlisle was right and La Push had its defenses, surely I was safer here than anywhere else? Did I really want to run away again? The answer was simple.

_No I did not._

Something was keeping me here - and I needed to find out what it was. I knew from now on I had to make a good impression. I had to make the next couple of days with Jacob worthwhile. _I had to. I owed it to him._ He had been kind to me, more than kind, if not a little annoying. As for his "friends" -well they were a different matter entirely. I wasn't truly sure what had made me change my mind but I had a feeling what I would know soon enough. I was guessing that I was the only one with a secret around here.

That was my last thought.

And for the first time in years, I had a picture in my head. _In my head, I had a picture of Jacob Black. _


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: **Good evening. Quick notice: I am literally up to my eyeballs this week. I'm working LONG shifts Wednesday - Friday (9am until 11pm) plus I have rehearsals for the new play I'm in, so I think it's only fair that I update today and tomorrow afternoon (before work at 5) to make up for my three day absence. I do apologise, but a gal's gotta work!

A HUGE thank you to everybody who had author alerted and story alerted! A MASSIVE thanks to **ren-hatake **and **Tayahearts **for ALWAYS reviewing despite their busy schedules. It means a lot and you keep me going!

**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**. The more reviews I get, the better idea I will get about where this story is going. It's not perfect, but with your help, it can only get better.

Much love.

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JACOB POV

**SLEEPING BEAUTY? GREAT, NOW I AM NAMED AFTER A DISNEY PRINCESS.**

What a great way to start the day.

_I was running. _

_I was running through the woods at top speed. I wasn't running from anything. I was running towards some__thing. I just wasn't sure what it was exactly. One thing I was completely sure was __that I was not in Washington. The scenary was nothing like Forks or La Push. _

_As I got deeper into the heart of the forest, the trees began to get thicker and they were __c__loser together in proxemity. __I was finding it a challenge __to get through as the forest was restricting __me. I struggled through the forestry, cutting my body as I fought against nature. I slid through the small gaps for miles until I reached the top of a hill that the forest had led me to. I saw in the distance, that I was nearing a cliff. I saw the cliff perfectly and I strode towards it pushing the branches out of my way. _

_As I got closer to the cliff, I saw a figure; an outline of a woman. Her hair was a long and was blowing in the wind. Her sleek slender body was dressed in a light long white dress; not too dressy but loose and flowing. She was leaning over the cliff overlooking the waves, her arms spread out like an eagle. Her feet moved her closer to the edge. She was testing her limitations. I was trying to get to her because I knew what she going to do._

_She was going to jump. _

_I pushed my way through the trees trying to get to this girl, trying to stop her from what she about to do. __I gave a great push and suddenly nothing was there. No trees restricting me. Now, it was just me and this girl on a cliff. _

_She was still. _

_I was still. _

_I was watching her, and I got the feeling that she was aware of my prescence. I slowly walked towards her, despite the aching pain in the pit of my stomach. I edged closer to her, trying not to alarm her. Suddenly, I watched as the girl turned her head to the side. Her face was glowing; it was like she had diamonds attatched to her skin. The only other distinctive feature she had, was stunning pair of deep crimson eyes. Through no fault of my own, I reached out to her cautiously and I felt the iced cold skin penetrating my skin as I enclosed my hand around hers. _

_It took two seconds and her hand slipped from mine and she fell, leaving myself on top of cliff watching as she fell to her death…_

I hit the floor with an almighty crash; presumably loud enough to wake up all the residents of La Push and half of Forks. I rubbed the back of my head that I hit on my chest of drawers. I am such an idiot, _werewolf _or not. I got up gingerly and opened my bedroom door and walked to my bathroom. I threw some water on my face and looked at myself deeply in the mirror. My dark eyes looked tired and aged; and for a guy who couldn't age at all in my current state, it seemed a bit contradictory. I slipped out of my bathroom, and grabbed a tshirt from my wardrobe and made my way down the corridor of my house.

I could smell something that was making my mouth water; and it wasn't just from the smell of the bacon that was obviously wafting through my house. It was _her smell. _

I raced towards the kitchen and I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the door.

My dad and Anna….sat down….talking and laughing away. And my dad was eating pancakes! Something wasn't right here. I must have been doing a double take. Either that or I was _dreaming_.

Both my dad and Anna turned to my attention as I closed the door behind me.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." Anna said sweetly, smiling at me, getting to her feet. My heart nearly jumped out of my heart right then as she walked over to me.

_Sleeping Beauty? _So now I had been nicknamed after a Disney Princess? In all fairness, she could call me whatever she wanted and I would still be in love with her.

I looked at the clock on the wall, despite my eyesight being slightly blurred. It read 10:30am. Wow, I guess I had slept later than I usually did, which was surprising seeing as I didn't sleep very well mainly because of the way me and Anna had left things last night. Furthermore, having that dream had totally messed my head up. But that was all it was and that was all it ever was going to be. _A dream._

I took a quick glance around my kitchen, and my senses were having a hard time keeping up. A vibrant lemon smell was present, overpowering the bacon smell. "You cleaned my house?" I asked Anna as I took a seat at the breakfast bar. Anna whirled around the kitchen at a fast speed tidying and preparing breakfast. My eyes didn't comprehend, but head soon did. I'd forgotten - she had inherited _vampire speed. _

"Yes. Top to bottom," She paused as she returned to the frying pan. "Apart from _your _room of course. Your father warned me that when you're asleep, you can slightly lethal once awoken." She gave a small laugh – the kind of girlish laugh that would make any man weak at the knees. Yes, I, Jacob Black the werewolf actually just put those words into a sentence. What the hell is wrong with me? Actually, scrap that. What's right with me?

"I have never seen the place so spotless." I continued, observing the kitchen. This place was usually a bachelor pad where me and the guys hung out, so it was never fully clean. I couldn't help but notice that the old brown table that my father was sat was actually sparkling.

"She did a good job huh Jake?" My dad cut in. I was gob smacked. It was like me and my father had _never_ lived here. "And...she fixed the table."

_That's right dad. Rub it in._

I knew now, that I wasn't dreaming because my dad certainly would not be in any dream that Anna was in.

Anna laughed as she flipped over the bacon that was in the pan. "And I promise to get your bedroom window fixed as soon as I can. I will ring up today and see how soon they get a new window fitted. That thing is a safety hazard."

"And besides, we don't want Jake sneaking out of his room - or have anybody sneaking into his room for that matter." Billy mocked causing Anna to giggle again, and for me to blush bright red. _I could have killed my father. I really could have. _

"Anna, you really don't have to do that—" I was cut of by my front door nearly being taken off the hinges by Embry.

"Well, V-Girl. That's the last of it." Embry said, carrying two rather large shopping bags in through my front door, Quil right behind him.

"Thank you. You're freakish strength actually came handy" Anna said graciously, taking the bags off Embry and placing them on the counter in super fast speed_. Vampire skills do come in handy._ She began to unpack the groceries. My eyes widened as I saw what was coming out these shopping bags.

"God Anna what are you trying to do? Feed the five thousand?" Quil shot up from behind the counter, nearly scaring me into a hernia.

"Well judging by your physical build and the fact that you nearly threw every single aisle into the shopping trolley, I guess the answer to that would be...yes." Anna replied sarcastically as she smirked back. She moved over towards cooker and began assembling eggs and flour on the chopping board. She removed another three packets of bacon from the shopping bag."Okay, so who wants what?" Anna asked generously. Quil and Embry both started shouting out what they wanted. "One at a time please." Anna responded, shutting both of the boys up.

"Pancakes and as much bacon as you can give me." Quil answered first, so much so that he actually shouted it at her.

"Pancakes and waffles please," Embry replied more calmly than Quil had. "And do you have any maple syrup?"

_Embry and his bloody maple syrup. _

"Oh course. I bought two bottles, because I wasn't entirely sure how much you would need." Anna held two bottles of maple syrup in her hands.

"Anna you are awesome... y'know, for a _vampire_!" Embry said, taking the bottles from her.

Anna rolled her eyes. 'I'll take that as a compliment.' She moved back over towards the chopping board colle

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but who exactly is paying for all of this?" I enquired, slightly confused.

Anna was concentrating on making the pancake batter. "I am. " She answered sweetly.

I couldn't believe this. This was a completely different side to the angry Anna I encountered last night. First she cleans my house, buys all the food (which, considering the amount we werewolves eat would not have been cheap!) and then makes breakfast for us all. I must have been dreaming because this was a far too perfect situation for me to be in. Scenarios like this did not happen to me, Jacob Ephriam Black.

"Anna I couldn't-"

"Jake, chill. It's my treat," she continued to talk to me whilst making Quil's pancakes. "After all, I owe it to you all for not killing me in the first place."Billy, Quil and Embry laughed. Anna handed Quil his plate of pancakes and bacon to which Quil accepted greedily. _Animal. _

"How can you even afford this?" I asked further. I know it was a rude question, but I wasn't about to have my friends rob this girl blind.

Anna smiled revealing her perfectly straight teeth. "I have a little money here and there," she paused, as she piled Embry's plate high with pancakes and waffles. Her eyes came in contact with mine once more and I saw her sigh. "Jake seriously, just sit back and let me do my job."

I liked this side of her. The motherly, yet ordered side. I began to wonder what she would be like as a mother to my children, as my wife, as my lover….

_Shit, scrap that. _

"I will tell you something. I have never seen anybody shop so quickly." Quil muttered between his mouthfuls of food.

"Tell me about it! I actually ran out of breath running after her in the supermarket." Embry laughed, chewing on half a waffle.

"Hang on, so you went shopping with her?" I asked abruptly.

"We both did." Quil answered.

_How was that fair? _So far, they had spent more time with her than I had!

"Does Sam know?" I whispered to Embry.

"Sam was the one who gave us permission." I nearly chocked on my pancake that Anna had just given to me.

"Sam gave you _permission?" _

"Yeah. He stopped by early this morning. He brought Billy round with him. It seems the Elders met last night and Sam filled them in about Anna. He wanted to prove to Billy that she was safe, and then she asked if she could go shopping as she wanted to make up for yesterday. So Sam agreed that she could go providing we accompanied her.' Quil finished, slamming his cutlery down and rubbed his stomach.

"Yeah and we fixed your car while we were at it." Embry continued.

_Excuse me?_

"My car? There's _nothing_ wrong with my car." I said, slightly worried that something had happened to my car. That car was my _baby_. I didn't care who knew it – I loved that car.

"Not anymore," Embry said shoveling another pancake into his large mouth. "Not since Anna fixed it."

WOAH HOLD UP! I looked up at Anna who was leant against the wall, smiling."Anna fixed it? " I asked impressed by her work.

"Yeah. You had a worn down clutch. Anymore road trips for you and then thing would have been sold for scrap metal. I heard making a funny sound yesterday when you took me over to the Cullens, but I forgot to mention it. So I got up early and fixed it up, with the assistance of Embry."

"I'm telling you Jake,this chick knows a hell of a lot about cars. I bet she would even give you are run for your money." He mocked, nudging me in the ribs. Anna walked over and collected his plate."Thanks for the flattery Embry, but there are no more eggs for pancakes. Other people have to eat too." Embry huffed and seemed reluctant to give his plate up. _Never try and separate embry from his maple syrup. _

"Well it was worth a shot." He said slumming back into his chair.

She wandered over towards me again, her violet eyes meeting with mine. "What's up Jacob? You've hardly eaten anything." she seemed concerned. I guess I wasn't feeling immensely hungry…well not for food anyway. I had a different hunger, a different craving, a desire….But I couldn't have it…_yet._

"Its not poisonous y'know. I may be part vampire, but I am not as evil as you all think I am." Anna reached down and picked up a piece of my pancake and slipped it between her rose coloured lips. Those lips. So begging to be touched and kissed. How I wished I could be the one to kiss those lips.

Suddenly the timer went off in the kitchen. I didn't even know we had a timer!

"Oh that must be the muffins." Anna directed her attention to the oven.

_What muffins? Who was this girl? _

She opened the oven and pulled out two baking trays which were covered in freshly baked muffins. Quil was straight on his feet, but she reacted far to quickly for him. "No!" she slapped Quil's hands away from the baking tray. "These are for later."

Quil huffed, holding up his arms in surrender. "Okay, give it few more seconds…now it's _later_." Quil said reaching out again, only to get his hand slapped once more. Embry and I sniggered. Quil was such a child when he wanted to be. He reminded me of one of the lost boys from _Peter Pan._

"Okay, well I think that is everything done." Anna said.

I rubbed the back of my head. "And I slept through you doing all of this?"

"Oh, I am very quiet and very quick." She winked flashing me that gorgeous smile. Damn, I've said it once, and I'll say it again. That smile should be a sin. Quil turned to me and did a stupid face as if to say _"ooo-get-you." _I smirked shaking my head.

Anna walked over to the counter and folded her arms over one another leaning over towards me."Well, actually I should probably mention the car thing was kind of my back up plan, providing that I could woo you with my peace offering of pancakes, waffles, bacon and toast."

"Peace offering?" I questioned.

"For being a complete -well- a complete idiot yesterday and for not listening and slamming the door on you and...well what I am trying to say is that, well I am sorry for behaving that way. I was completely out of order, and you have been nothing but nice to me since I got here. I guess it just took me a little bit of time to realize that."

I was gob smacked for the second time in one morning. _She was apologizing to me? _

"Forgive her Jake." Quil and Embry spoke enthusiastically in unison.

"Shut up you and eat your some more waffles mister." Anna said mockingly, handing him another plateful of pancakes despite saying she wasn't going t let him have anymore. She then grabbed a napkin and began trying to wipe Embry's face.

"Jeez, you are like my mother." Embry moaned, trying to escape the wrath of Anna's napkin on his face.

"And the muffins…?" I further questioned her.

"They were my 'back up back up plan.' I had to be prepared to do whatever it took to get you forgive me."

_Trust me. Forgiving you is the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. _

Anna was looking at me funny. "Are you sure you're okay Jacob?"

I was more than alright. I was _ecstatic_. "Yeah, I just, well, I can't believe you did this. You really didn't have to."

"Thanks, but I disagree. I felt awful for shouting at you and well, I just didn't handle the situation very well. I should really learn not to overreact."

"No, I should have told you about the bag -"

She held her hands up in defeat. "No, Seth explained it all to me and I completely understand. It's procedure." She began walking towards the door. She opened it revealing a very confused Seth, who had his hand raised like he was about to knock.

"How did you -?" Seth asked, curiously.

Anna just smiled. "Come on in Seth."

Seth walked into the kitchen, his face a little flushed.

_What was this? Some kind of morning party at the Blacks?_

"Hey guys." Seth said.

"Morning Seth!" Quil and Embry said as they spat food everywhere.

Anna closed the door. "Right Seth, what can I get you? We have eggs, pancakes, bacon, toast, waffles…"

_It sounded like a bloody medieval feast to me. _

"Eggs and pancakes sounds good to me." Seth answered.

"Eggs and pancakes it is then." Anna smiled and resumed her cooking.

_Could I fall anymore in love with this girl?_

_The answer was yes. I would never stop falling for this girl. _

"Well I am off to Charlie's. Big match this afternoon and the old fart has to get the beers and pizza in yet." Billy said wheeling his chair from around the table.

"Oh, will these do? I picked them up for the boys, but I am sure they won't mind if you take some over." Anna offered, handing Billy a crate of beer.

_She had bought us alcohol? She clearly didn't know that we were underage. I should probably mention that to her sometime. There was a lot I needed to tell her and plenty that I wanted to know about her. _

"Well thank you very much Anna. These will do nicely." He accepted the crate placing it on his lap and giving it a pat."Well I best be off then. Quil, you still alright to give me a lift?"

"Oh course Billy. No worries." Quil grabbed his plate and walked over handing it to Anna.

"You cook up a storm Anna. I guess I will be hanging out here more often huh Jake?" Quil joked – except I knew he wasn't joking in the slightest. _He would come back here every morning if it meant him not having to spend a dime on his breakfast. _

"Indeed, Anna. Thank you for everything." Billy thanked Anna.

"You are more than welcome Mr Black." Anna smiled back.

"Please call me Billy, Anna."I saw a huge smile spread across her face at my fathers comment; it almost looked like she was glowing. Her skin looked stunning. Everything about her was beautiful.

"See you later boys! You too Anna." Billy said as Quil wheeled him out.

'See you V-Girl!' Quil shouted before closing the door behind him. Anna just shook her head, smiling to herself.

I couldn't help but be slightly confused. 'V-Girl?'

Anna and Embry laughed. 'My nickname. Embry and Quil invented it especially for me. It basically is a shortened version of 'Vampire Girl'. It just sounds funnier and less threatening.'

_Oh course. Only those two muppets could possible have designed such a nickname. _

"Well, I have a confession. I am a tight as a fat ladies' dress." Embry said, placing his plate into the counter and slamming himself onto the couch, rubbing his stomach. I shook my head at my best friend. He was so blunt in all manners of his speech.

"Well, I have to hand it to you Jake, Anna is one hell of cook. She could even rival Edwa—" Seth slurred off his sentence. "…Well, you know what I mean." Seth smiled.

I glanced over at Anna who was cleaning up the mixing bowls. She saw me looking at her and she flashed a small smile, making my knees go weak once more. She shook her head causing her hair to fall short of her eyes. Her eyes. Those beautiful violet eyes.

"Yeah Seth. I know I exactly what you mean." I whispered back to him. I could definitely get used to this. I saw her smile to herself. I was wondering whether or not she could hear my thoughts. _Great, another Edward. _At least I could get away from Edward, but Anna was staying in my house, hopefully for a long time.

Somehow, 'Forever' just didn't seem long enough_. _


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**A/N: This is the chapter I promised. Took me most of the morning editing it so I could upload it this afternoon. And I still have three hours before I need to go to work, so I believe a nap is order. **

**Thanks for ALL the reviews, and a big welcome to Twilightno1fan2009 :) Hope you enjoy the rest of the story. There may be a three day absence as I mentioned before due to work, but I may update on Thursday, depending how late I finish. Otherwise, it will the weekend. **

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**I GUESS I AM THE ONE WHO IS 'HUNGRY LIKE A WOLF'**

Anna POV 

The past few days at the Black household seem to have disappeared pretty fast – so much so that I actually don't want to leave. I must admit, even I am suprised by my change in opinion, but after Billy had told me that I am more than welcome to stay for as long as I wish, something inside me seemed to adher the concept. Furthermore, Jacob didn't seem to mind one bit. I have spent a lot of time on my own because Jacob has been busy with his friends and Billy spends most of his time over at Seth's house, but there are always a few boys who hang around Jacob's house when he's out, who I have known now to be called Collin and Brady. I had no idea what those boys got up to when they got together, but if Jacob wasn't leaving early in the morning, he was returning late at night, usually exhausted and ravenous. I initially didn't think too much about it because I wasn't sure if this was the 'norm' here, but since remembering Carlisle's words to me _about "La Push having its own defenses_", I started to notice small things. It's like trying to piece a jigsaw together - if you add the wrong piece then the jigsaw is pointless. I have spent many nights rattling my brain and somehow any logical possibility seems ludicrous. Any theory just seems ridiculous; although to be fair, being a _hybrid _is ridiculous, so I have no intentions of ruling much out. The ideas of vampires is ridiculous and yet they_ exist_.

I began to think that maybe I was thinking too much into this - or maybe not enough. I had proposed the possibility that perhaps the boys were part of some _cult _as they seemed to have "meetings" a lot. I never questioned Jacob when he went out, and neither did Billy – it was almost as if Billy expected Jake to go out at ridiculous hours. Well Jacob was a big boy after all – a very big boy.

I made a decision to try and focus on receiving visuals from them whenever I could, but due to the inconsistent nature of so called 'talent', it hasn't seem to want to function when I require it to. I know that I am going to need to figure this one out on my own - with or without my power.

On Tuesday, I heard Jacob come in at 3am, and I bumped into him on the corridor where he stood there with his khaki combats ripped and his shirt in one hand. I simply had to smile innocently to myself. He looked quite embarrassed as he made his way to his room and I couldn't help but allow my eyes to linger over his muscular, defined body. His shoulders were broad and strong; his skin was so rich that I couldn't help but want to run my fingers over every inch of body. My mouth pooled at the thought and I had to swallow hard - the smell of cinnamon was calling my name and enveloping itself around my body, drawing me towards him. Duran Duran made a good point in their song. I was hungry for Jake.

I was _Hungry Like A Wolf._

The following day, after witnessing Jacob's body in half its glory, I decided to make a hunting trip, just to be safe so I asked Carlisle to assist me using Jacob's phone. In all honesty, the deer in Forks were pretty decent, but obviously the taste was not something I was accustomed to, especially compared to what I had hunted in Italy. Departing from Jacob was extremely hard; even when he dropped me off at the Cullen's house I felt my body ache as I stepped out of the car. I still couldn't suss what it was. I was going to mention it to Carlisle, but I decided to let it drop. I wanted to figure this out on my own.

That same Wedneday I went hunting with Carlisle, he brought me back to his house and (re)introduced me to Alice who recognized me immediately. She was hesitant towards me at first, which was expected due to the crisis in Italy last year, but she took five seconds, forgot about the whole thing and hugged me. After spending what felt like a year hugging, and having Alice sniff me (to which she appeared repulsed for some reason) I felt as though we were going to get along perfectly fine. It was just Edward and Rosalie I knew I would have to win over. Luckily, Rosalie and Emmett were still in Canada, which eased my nerves a bit. To top off my day, I finally got to meet Jasper. He was awfully handsome with thick wavy blonde hair. He still seemed very hesitant towards me – Carlisle had explained to me in the past that me having a steady heartbeat was a problem for him, but he was hopeful that now he was more controlled, I could finally be in a room with him and not have him want to lunge for my jugular. After fully explaining the story about Italy to Jasper, he was pretty clued up about the whole situation. That afternoon was the first time I had sat down with the Cullens and explained what had truly happened in Italy including why I left in the first place. It wasn't the full story, but it was enough for them to get the picture.

I felt much better than I had in days when I returned to Jacob's house that evening. I felt healthy and content and seeing him secretly made me feel even better, especially feeling the pull on body when Alice and Jasper dropped me off on the treaty line and I saw him waiting for me in his Rabbit. Alice had made me promise to come round sometime during the week, to which I swore on my (half) life that I would. Admittedly, the hunting had satisfied my hunger for blood, but _not_ for Jacob. That night, I had watched him from across the living room. His habits were like second nature to me now, and I could predict even more clearly when he was going to do something and what he was going to do. His vibes were more powerful to me now – I could recognize them so distinctively. It was messing with my head and the more I tried to block out my thoughts about him, it didn't work. I thought that if I relaxed myself, I would begin receiving clearered visuals from him. Some were clearer than others; I didn't want to embarass him by telling him that I knew he had a picture of me in his head most of the time. There were still some visuals that were completely blurred; they were hidden for some reason. I wasn't sure whether Jacob was aware of my power, or what it was, but he seemed to be good at hiding certain images and I waiting for a opportunity when his guard would slip.

It's now **Friday, August 19th**.

It's actually hard to believe that six days has actually flown past. Rightfully, according to the pact I had made, I should be leaving tomorrow but I can easily say that I don't want to depart from this place. I know that I can't stay here for very much longer – to do so would put everybody in danger especially if Volturi should they decide to come looking for me. I would be dead anyway because Demetri was the best tracker in the world - but at least if I had some time to get away from here, Jacob and the Cullen's would be safe. Plus I was aware that the longer I stayed, the more attached I knew I was going to get to Jacob and the others, and that was not a good thing by any means. I decided to stick to the plan and leave tomorrow.

I am going to pay the Cullen's another visit today, just because I promised Alice I would. I hadn't seen them since Wednesday and I feel as though I should discuss my options with them. I'm not going to tell Jake; he's better off never knowing about my connections to the Volturi. I don't think I could face myself to tell him that I had been lying to him; I cared too much about him to hurt him.

I took a sip of my tea when I heard Jake's phone go off. I heard him groan from his bedroom as he went to answer it. I chuckled to myself. I didn't want to listen in – I wasn't that keen to know who was on the other side. I got a good vibe from him which meant whoever he was talking to he was happy to talk to. I figured it may have been one of his sisters. As I sat there drinking my tea, something got me thinking about Jacob's mother. I had seen the picture on the mantlepiece of the whole Black family, but I hadn't made any attempt to discuss anything like that with him yet – he was always busy and we hadn't had anytime alone together. I don't want to pressure him to talk to me – things just seemed mellow at the moment and I certainly don't want to spoil the atmosphere, especially since I'm not planning on staying for much longer. I guess another reason I had asked him was because I don't want to get to know him; falling in deeper than I already was again, would not do me any justice. But it doesn't mean that I am not curious.

I heard him open the door, entering the room. The pull tightened when I saw him; my body urged to join his, to be with his, to join and become one.

_Anna, stop this. It is not going to happen. _

He seemed a little exhausted but not due to lack of sleep- but I sensed something was on his mind.

"Everything okay?" I asked as Jacob slummed himself down on the sofa. I loved how sweet he looked when he rubbed his 's eyes open fully as he sat up.

"Yeah. My sister just called. She seriously has a problem wanting to piss me off. Waking me up at half past eight! I swear she gets some sort of kick out of it." Jacob rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his messy hair.I laughed to myself. I knew the feeling. Growing up with two older brothers, two older sisters and a twin, made me appreciate being the youngest – everybody thought you were useless and no good, so they left you alone. I sat myself down next to him, and this was the closest we had been in a long time. I could taste him just being in a close proximity to him.

"I should probably tell Paul that Rachel is coming back today." Jacob continued as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Your sister is coming home? Today?" I asked, which was a stupid question because he had already answered it. _I just wanted him to keep talking to me and never stop. _He sighed as he ran his finger through his hair as he spoke – another trait he seemed to embrace a lot. "Yeah, she was meant to be flying out tonight. She's at Washington University but she's been away on some sort of field trip. She was due to get here tomorrow morning, but she's managed to get a flight this morning, so she should be here this afternoon. Oh, and her and Paul are like…_a thing."_

I laughed at his choice of words and how he wasn't referring to it as a _relationship_. Having just learnt that Paul was going out with Jacob's sister made me wonder why Paul was so bitter all the time, well, to me anyway. At least the prospect that his sister was returning home tomorrow, seemed to cheer him up, much to my delight. However I got the feeling that he wasn't too pleased about Paul possibly becoming a member of his family in the future. I couldn't blame him. In England, Paul would have been labeled an _arrogant arse._

"That's really great Jake. It'll be nice having another girl around the house." I joked. _Especially since she was going to be the only one soon enough. _

Jake smiled as he opened his eyes to meet my gaze.

'What?' I asked.

'You just called me 'Jake'' He replied, his smile curved at the side of his mouth.

'Sorry... Jacob...'

'No, I prefer to called 'Jake' Being called 'Jacob' is far too normal.'

I eyed him up. 'And you don't like being _normal?' _I questioned him, trying to get any information out of him that I could. Jake simply rolled his eyes.

'I guess nobody is normal around here' He laughed, trying to make the whole thing seem like a joke. I know better that. He was definitely hiding something. 'Anyway, you're the reason why Rachel called me. She can't wait to meet you."

_She wanted to meet me? Did she know what I was?_

My face dropped slightly. 'Me?' I cleared my throat. "Does she…" I saw as Jake's eyes glowed a deep black.

"_No, not yet_. But she knows about the Cullen's so she'll understand."I nodded, a flush of relief swept over me. Jake shifted himself on the sofa. "Plus, I am sure Paul will be thrilled to tell her himself. Any reason to further complicated the situation." I felt a level of guilt at his sentence. _Why was I still here? _I should have left by now and then everything would have gone back to normal for Jake.

But not for me_._ If I left now, I would never forgive myself for not getting to know Jake. But if I stayed, I risked more than one life.

_Tough choice. _

"Why should you be bothered by what Paul thinks about me?" I asked curiously fiddling with the sleeve of the black jumper I was sporting.

Jake fell silent.

_Great. I have blown the moment again._

I stood up gingerly and made my way over to the kitchen, collecting one of Rebecca's hoodie off the back of the chair. I felt Jake's eyes on me, and I heard him get up onto his feet."Are you going somewhere?" he asked in a panicked voice.

I turned to face him. "I am going to head down to the Cullen's for an hour. Is that okay?"

He looked a little disappointed, but he smiled anyway. "Sure sure." He sounded uncertain.

I didn't want to leave him, but right now I didn't really have a choice. I needed some answers to my problem. "I shouldn't be too long. When I get back I will prepare some dinner if you like. Ask Sam if he wants to come round or something." I suggested.

Jake sighed. "He can't. He's travelling to the airport to pick up Emily this afternoon. She is bringing her niece Claire to stay for the weekend. Quil can't come because he is driving up with Sam to pick them up."

I wasn't sure why, but there seemed to be a tone in the way Jake said that sentence. It made me curious. "Why would Quil be going?" I asked. 'I thought Sam could drive.'

Jake stood there with a curved smile like he was trying to hide something. "Do you really want me to answer that?" Jake joked. I was guessing it was some insider joke.

"I guess I will see you later then." I smiled at Jake and headed towards the door.

I heard Jake shift towards me. "You want me to drop you off?"

_Yes. I would love nothing more than to be in a car with you Jake. _

"No, it's okay. It's really early and I could do with the run. You should get back to bed or get something to eat. I made some waffles. They are under the grill if you want any."

Jake smiled his toothed grin. "Okay. Well, here,' He walked over to the kitchen counter. "Take these" He threw me a set of car keys, and my reflexes were quick as I caught them. I looked down at the keys.

They were the keys to Jake's Rabbit.

_This was strange. He never let anybody drive his car. It was like his pride and joy. _

"You trust me with your car?" I questioned nervously, holding up the keys.

Jake shrugged. "Oh course. Should I have a reason not to?" He grinned again. I shook my head in an attempt to hide my blush.

_Oh wouldn't you like to know. _

"No of course not." I held the keys tightly in my hand. "Thanks Jake."I turned to walk out the door quickly because I knew that in less than five seconds Jake was going to stop me again.

"Anna…" Jake trailed off.

_Yes, right on cue. Jake was so easy to read sometimes. _

"Yes?" I looked back innocently.

He rubbed the back of his head as I saw the blush rush to is face. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to freak you out, but..um...'

I knew what he was going to ask me because I suddenly saw a visual. Great, _now_ my power decides it wants to function. I folded my arms and waited for him to speak.

He was still trying to find the words. "Well, tonight, there's this -'

_I figured I would help him out. _

"I would love to Jake." I just spat it out. I couldn't even stop myself. I saw the sigh of relief wash over his face, before he realized what I had just agreed to.

"Okay…_what?' _

I just smiled, before turning my head away from him trying to hide the shade of crimson forming on my cheeks. "I'd like to go to the bonfire tonight." His face didn't read too well. _Was he more confused that I knew what he was going to ask me, or that I had actually agreed to it?_Furthermore, why had I just agreed to go out with him? I thought the plan was to _not_ get to know him? Well that plan wasn't sticking too well…

"Hang on, how did you know…?" Jake looked bemused at me.

_My turn to blush. _He had no idea about my power.

"Erm…" I stuttered. I began fiddling with the car keys.

Jake just looked at me trying to find something sensible to say.

Well that made two of us!

'Never mind,' Jake responded. The bonfire's not 'til 8.30, so take all the time you need.'

"Sounds good." I agreed nervously; the pit of my stomach burned with happiness.

Jake rubbed the back of his head again. "Great.'

I smiled. "I'll see you later then Jake."

I closed the door to the house behind me and raced to Jake's car. I opened the door and got into the driver's seat. Gosh, it had been a while since I had driven in left hand drive. I put my seatbelt on and as I did, I could smell _that _smell again. I started the car up and when I looked in my wing mirror, I saw the Embry's shirtless figure outlining the forest that Jake's house backed on to. I smiled and waved to Embry. I liked Embry. Him and Quil were the only two of Jake's friends that I had truly connected with, Embry more so than Quil.

The smell intensified as I started the car up. _I am going to find out what you boys are trust me._ I started the car and drove off towards Forks, replaying mine and Jake's conversation over and over in my head.

* * *

"What if they come here? I don't want to put any of you in danger." I stated as I sat at the kitchen table. Alice was sat next to me on my left and Esme to right. Jasper was sat on the kitchen counter and Carlisle was pacing around the kitchen.

"If the Volturi make any such decision, Alice will be the first to know." Carlisle nodded at Alice.

"Don't worry. I will keep my eyes peeled for you. i've been watching Aro's decisions since we left Italy" Alice took my hand in hers and smiled at me trying to reassure me.

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks Alice. But it's not Aro's decisions I'm worried about,' I got up from my seat and walked over towards the Cullens window. I wiped away the condensation and lookd out towards the foresr. 'I need to know whether or not it is worth the risk."

"It will be," Alice stated quickly as I turned back to face her. "You cannot go back there._ We_ won't let you."

"Alice you don't understand. If they come looking for me, I wont have a choice. Even if I refuse, they would kill me for my disloyalty," I felt myself getting erratic. "I bet Jane would love that. Any excuse to mentally torture me. You saw what she did to Edward in Italy and believe me, that was tame compared to her usual antics." My nerves were getting the better of me. Just thinking about the evil little witch made my blood boil.

Suddenly, my anger lessened and I felt calmer. I looked at each of Cullens. Carlisle and Esme didn't have powers and Alice was a psychic.

"How did that happen?"

_"Jasper_." Alice and Carlisle answered together.

_I was impressed. The ability to change one's emotions. _

"Is that your power?" I asked curiously.

Jasper smiled at me, his golden eyes shone against his pale skin. "Yeah. I only really use it calm people down. I hate it when people get hysterical and by the looks of it, you were on your way." He joked.

Carlisle leant himself against the wall and resumed the conversation. "I know you may think that you don't have a choice Anna but you do. You _always_ did."

_I swallowed hard. Guilt trip all over again._

"Carlisle you must understand why I made the choice I did-"

"Oh course I do Anna."

I scoffed. "Edward _didn't."_

Esme walked around the table and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Maybe not, but it wasn't for him to decide. Deep down he does understand. He just refuses to accept it."

I nodded. _In all honesty I had never forgiven myself for the decision I made all those years ago, but if I hadn't then we wouldn't all be here right now._

"The point is that you have made the decision you have now and we will do what we can to protect you. And even if you decide to leave, we will support you. You know that." Esme continued.

I nodded."You know it's was a miracle that they didn't come after you and Edward after Italy. Aro was pissed off for weeks."

Alice smiled at me. "Yeah well they would have to do a lot to convince me to join. I hate the lot of them - well, except you of course." We both giggled. Esme poured me another cup of tea, trying to change the subject.

"Anyway, how is over at the Black's?" Esme asked. "Are they still treating you okay?"

"Yes they are Esme. More than humble you might say." I said adding two lumps of sugar into my tea.

"Well I am glad. Jacob always seemed like such a nice boy, even if him and Edward don't see eye to eye." Esme trailed off slightly.

I took a sip of my tea and I observed that the family fell silent. This would be a good time to put forward a question. "Why don't Jake and Edward like each other? Is it because of the whole "_Edward-being-a-vampire" thing?"_ I enquired. The Cullen's remained silent. I couldn't help but feel like I had touched a nerve. The vibes I were getting were not nice ones.

"Well you see Anna - "Carlisle cleared his throat when Carlisle's phone rang. _Funny how that happens doesn't it. _"It's Edward," Carlisle said. "I'll have to answer."

Oh dear. _Edward._ I was wondering whether or not he knew about me yet. _Well, I wouldn't be here when he got back anyway. _

Alice clapped her hands together. "Let's just hope that's news that my niece or nephew is on the way." I turned to face her.

I snorted. "Is that even possible?"

Alice sighed. "Just wishful thinking."

Jasper and myself smirked. Esme collected the tea cups and made her way over to sink. I was about to get up when something hit me. The visuals from Carlisle hit me like a ton of bricks. I saw Edward and Bella in my head - Bella being sick, Edward pacing around angrily...

"Are you okay Anna?" Alice asked grabbing my hand. I opened my eyes and I caught Jasper's eye. I got the feeling that Jasper sensed Carlisle's emotions.

'What is it Anna?' Esme asked curiously.

I couldn't piece together what I had just seen. It didn't make any sense. Was Bella poorly? It had to be more than that. In the visual, Edward was angry and anxious. This had to be more than what I had seen. I could hear Carlisle in the other room.

_'Bella, its Carlisle. What's going on?'_

_'Has he been harmed?'_

_'I don't understand, Bella'_

_'When was the first day of your menstrual cycle?'_

_'How do you feel?'_

_'Put him on.'_

_'You have to bring her home right now. Call me when you land'_

Carlisle entered the kitchen once more, holding his phone in his hand. I wasn't sure what was going on, but Carlisle seemed troubled. I would have been lying if I said that I wasn't concerned about Carlisle's discussion with Edward. I didn't care what had happened in the past, I still cared for Edward and that would never change.

Some things were never going to change.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**A/N: ****Hello, I've returned from my 'absence'. Needless to say I was exhausted from my shifts last week, so I slept ALL day Saturday and was going to update yesterday but was still SOOOOO tired, that I delayed it until today. Thank you for ALL the reviews for the last few chapters. ****Welcome to : .Stories-! I hope you enioy the rest of the story! **

**This chapter is basically the Jacob's phone call from the last chapter. It was APOV last time, so it JPOV this time, so you know what all about his phone call with his sister Rachel. It's not a long chapter! I'm sorry. **

**Please REVIEW and let me know what you think - Emmmerald x**

* * *

**AND THE WORST LIAR IN THE WORLD AWARD GOES TO 'JACOB BLACK.' WELL, THERE'S A SUPRISE. I DIDNT EVEN PREPARE A SPEECH.**

Friday, August 19th

RING RING!

My body sprung out of bed like a cat on a hot tin roof and once again, I landed with a crash. Cursing under my breath, I rubbed my head as I reached for my cell phone. I looked at the caller ID, and had it not been who it was, I would have been throwing it out of my broken window. This was Sunday. It was God's day.

I pressed the answer button on my cell. 'Hello.' I grumbled.

'Hello there little brother.' I smiled as I heard the familiar girlish voice on the other end of the phone.

'Hey Rach.' I tried to sound cheerful despite the fact my eyelids could hardly support themselves. Rachel is my older sister, well one half anyway. Her and Rebecca were twins. I hardly heard from Rachel since she'd got married and fucked off to Hawaii. We got a phone call once in a while, and she sent Christmas and birthday cards. Rachel was the only sister that came back to the Rez every so often, and trust me, it wasn't just me and my dad that she came back to see.

'Don't sound too happy Jakey, you might turn to stone.' Rachel replied, laughing down the phone.

'HA HA!' I mocked back laying back down on my bed, rubbing my forehead.

'So despite the pissed off tone of voice, how is my favourite wolf?' Rachel asked. Now, I knew who Rachel was referring to, but I always enjoyed a bit of witty banter, so I thought up a pretty neat response. I exhaled deeply. 'He's in the front living room of our house everyday _pining_ for you!' I exaggerated. And yes, I was referring to Paul. God, even saying his name made me angry.

Rachel scoffed. 'Give over! I'm talking about _you_.'

I ran my fingers through my ruffled hair. 'Yeah, I am _fine, brilliant, top of the world_.' I responded, half trying to be sarcastic, and half being truthful. I heard Rachel shuffle on the other line.

'Well, Dad informed me that we have a little visitor staying over at the house ...'

_Shit_. Dad has told her about Anna. That meant she knew everything. Well, on the one hand, it meant I didn't have to explain it all to her. However, on the other hand, it also meant that she had no idea how complicated the situation actually was. 'Um, yeah.' Was my feeble response. I had to dodge any question she threw at me, because Rach was good at getting information out of people. That's how she found out about _us _being wolves in the first place. She has questioned me and Paul over and over again, and Paul cracked in the end. Then again, she was his _imprint_ by that stage, so technically, she had a right to know.

'So... tell me about her. I want to know _everything_.' Rachel seemed FAR to enthusiastic about this whole thing.

'Not much to tell.' I lied.

I heard Rachel scoff again. 'What? You must have spoken to her. '

'Well, not that much really. I've been busy with the pack meetings and so I have not really had a chance to sit down and get to know her. Besides, I think she'll be leaving soon, so I might not really get a chance to.' I wasn't lying. I had been busy with 'pack' buisness (much to my dislike, but Sam knew I didn't want the rest of them knowing about Anna being my _imprint_ just yet, so he had kept me on my usual shifts so it wouldn't arose suspisicion) and any time that I had spare I was sleeping. It had killed me for the past six days, but everything had to go on as normal.

'Well, don't you want to get to know her?' Rachel questioned me seriously.

I wanted to avoid this question. The truth was killing me.

'No.'

Rachel scoffed again before bursting into her loud girlish laught once more - y'know, the kinda laugh that makes you pull the phone away from your ear. 'You're a terrible liar Jacob Ephriam Black!'

It was my turn to scoff. 'Hey now! Stop full naming me, Rachel Jasmine Black!'

At this point, both me and Rachel laughed in unison.

'You have always been a bad liar Jay, so cut the crap and fill me in,' Rachel began to speak seriously again. I hated it when she did this. 'I hear she's quite _different_...'

Ha! You have no freaking idea! 'Yeah, I guess she is.' I replied. It was silent for a few moments before I heard Rachel clear her throat.

'Jake – what's going on?'

'Nothing.' Even I confess, I was not sounding convincing at all!

'Seriously? You expect me to believe that? Dad phones and tells me that there is a girl living in our house. Dad does not just let anybody stay in the house, especially not strangers. He must have taken a liking to her. Where did she come from?'

I smiled, remembering her voice, her accent...

'She's English' I replied.

'Wow, how continental. So, is she pretty?'

Urgh! What kind of question is that. Asking if she was 'pretty' was an insult. She was so much more than that.

'She's ... _beautiful._'

Man! I must sound like such a pansy. I hate _imprinting_. It's making me say things that you only hear in sucky romance novels.

I heard Rachel sigh sweetly on the other end of the line. 'Do you like her?'

I could feel myself getting defensive. This was a sore subject for me in my current state. 'What is that supposed to mean?'

'Exactly what I said.' It's true. Rachel ALWAYS meant what she said.

I exhaled deeply and bit mt lip before I answered. 'Look its complicated right now. Like I said, we've hardly had time for a friendly chat and a cup of tea. She's only been here for three days and she'll be leaving soon, so I don't really see the point.'

If my calculations were correct, then Anna would be leaving tomorrow. I couldn't believe it had been nearly seven days. Nearly seven FUCKING days and I had done nothing. I had completely ballsed this up. Anna would leave tomorrow and I would probably never see her again. And if the legends were anything to go by, I slowly begin to die. Yeah, that what fucking _imprinting _does. It kills you one piece at a time.

'Well it's a good job I'm actually coming back a day early then.'

My mood lifted immensly. 'Are you serious?'

'I am indeed. I know I was due to fly out tomorrow, but the humidity out here is not doing any wonders for my hair, so I managed to score my way into an earlier flight. Besides, I miss you and Dad. Plus I cannot wait to see Paul. Seriously, a month is WAY to long...'

SHIT A BRICK. She did not just imply what I thought she was. 'Woah, seriously! As much as I love you Rach I do not want images of Paul doing weird sex stuff to my big sister.'

'Jake chill out! Its a natural thing-'

Having my sister lecture me about sex was not something I needed right now. Considering the state I was in now, I didn't really want to go there. It was too much. 'Yeah Rach, as much as I appreciate the birds and bees, Dad already gave me the talk a thousand times since you and Rebecca have been away, so save your breath and me the humiliation yeah?'

Rachel giggled down the phone. 'Okay lil bro. I get it. Anyway, so I should be arriving tonight, so I'll be in time for the BBQ'

Oh yeah. I forgot about the BBQ. I made a mental note to mention that to Anna at some point today. 'Brilliant. Cannot wait to tell Paul. He might actually be nice to me when he hears the news.'

'Come on Jay. He's not _that _bad.'

I barked. 'Be thankful that you don't have to see him everyday – or witness his thoughts on a regular basis.' I moaned.

'Anyway, I gotta go. My plane will be here soon so tell everyone I'll see them soon.'

'Sure, sure.' I answered.

'And Jake?'

Great, I knew she hadn't finished with me just yet.

'Yeah?'

'Don't think I'm letting this go. You're hiding something, and I'm gonna figure it out.'

'Sure, sure.'

'I'll see you in a few hours.'

'See ya Rach.'

I put my cell down and fell backwards onto my bed again, groaning as I did. I would say that my head is a complete shed right now - accept I would be lying because Anna fills the space. This whole thing is driving me crazy. Sam has made sure that when I'm on patrol, I'm on with him purely so the others can't hear my thoughts because the game would be over to quickly. I can feel myself getting stressed. Anna can't leave tomorrow. I don't think I can handle the thought of her leaving. Loosing two women in a space of seventeen years is not something I'm particulary gonna be raving about. With Bella, I knew that I was gonna lose out to that _bloodsucker_, and I know that she was happily married now. Soon enough, all her wishes are gonna be fulfilled when they turn her into one of them. I have accepted that now. But with Anna... I could have a chance at making it work. Sure the fact that she's a vampire hybrid means that she is considered the greatest enemy to our tribe, but she's different. She has a beating heart, she bleeds...

Surely she's a liability.

She is my_ imprint_. She is who I am destined to be with and the worst part is, is that I have no control over it. I didn't chose her, but somehow, I don't care. She is beautiful in every way possible. She needs to know. I have to tell her before she leaves tomorrow, and whatever the consequences are, I'll have to cross that bridge when it comes to it. I am hoping that Quil, Jared, and Sam will help to back me up on this one. There's no way Paul is ever going to acknowledge Anna as my _imprint _because he won't be able to see past her being a vampire. Sam understands that she is who I'm supposed to be with, and for whatever reason, the Fates have brought us together for a reason, a purpose.

I'm going to tell her...

No, how can I tell her? I haven't even thought about how she is going to respond. She didn't know I was wolf yet, so how I can even plan on telling her that I love her and that she is mine for all eternity? No, I can't tell her 'I love her' and I certainly can't tell her that I can shift into a wolf. There is no fucking way that this is ever going to work. I realise now that I have rambled on in my tiny little brain for the past five minutes and I am still no closer to knowing what the hell I'm supposed to.

If only there had been a handbook on **'What to do if your _imprint_ is the Enemy'. **

I used to think that being a _parasite_ was a shit way to live ones life.

I suppose being a wolf is not always that great either.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**A/N: ****It's 12.08am, its September 22nd, and it's my BIRTHDAY! So what better way to say happy birthday than by giving you another slice of delicious birthday cake in the shape of Anna and Jacob ;) Don't say I don't spoil you guys! ****I love these two. Don't you? Let me know what you think about them. I also have invented a new character called Sara who is another Quiluete girl on the Rez. She may form a good friendship with Anna later, but I'll explain that later as the story progresses. ****A LOVELY LONG CHAPTER! Will Anna finally discover Jake's secret? Or should I say... secrets? ;) - Emmmerald x**

**MY CHEEKS FEEL LIKE OVENS – OH YEAH, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BLUSH**

I arrived back in La Push, slightly confused about what Carlisle's dilemma was, but I didn't question him. I decided to make a swift exit so he could talk to his family, but also, not I didn't want to be late to meet Jake's sister before the bonfire BBQ. Driving back in Jake's Rabbit had made me feel relaxed as I smelled his scent which had surrounded me, locking it in. I still was not sure what it was about Jake that calmed me or held my attention like he did. I was still racking my brain knowing full well that there was something he was not telling me. I often saw pictures of him and his 'friends' gathered around a fire talking, but their words were not audible. I only ever saw in pictures and the pictures made no sense. My picture would go blurry, and after that I was left confused, until Jake returned home. As I was driving past the forest to reach Jake's house, a vision entered my mind.

A figure; a female.

_Jacob's sister had arrived. _

I pulled up outside Jake's little red house and to my surprise, he was already outside waiting for me. He was sporting his khaki combats and a black top, which hugged his abs beautifully. I tried to control my thoughts and the urge to not jump him there and then. It was difficult, but I'm not going to make any drama about it. I watched as he walked towards me and I thought he was going to embrace me, but he refrained, much to my dislike.

'Hey,' he smiled. 'Everything alright at the Cul–' He stopped himself. I knew that he didn't like mentioning their name so I filled it in.

'Yes, everything is fine.' I lied. _I had to_. _I didn't want Jake worrying if there was nothing to be worried about. _

Jake smiled, revealing his stunning pearly whites. 'My sister's here. I want you to meet her.'

Shit. He was really serious about me meeting her. A sudden shudder of anxiety shot through my body. What if she smelt as good as Jake? What if I lost control? I swallowed hard.

'Sure' I smiled, nodding, putting all of those silly thoughts to the back of my head.

'Come on then' Jake opened his front door and led me into the kitchen. I could hear Billy's voice and then a small break of laughter. Billy was sat in his wheelchair, smiling as I walked in and his eyes turned to my attention. To his left, my eyes met with a girl of profound physical beauty. She has shoulder length shiny jet black hair, exactly like Jake's and her skin was a flawless shade of russet. Her dark pupils were her most obvious feature. I remember Jake's eyes were the first thing that had attracted me to him. She gave me a gracious smile.

'You must Anna.' There was only warmth and curiousity in her voice, no tension or anxiety.

I returned the warm smile. 'And you must be Rachel.' She was stunning but then again, the Black family were graced with good looks.

'Guess so.' She replied, as she walked over and hugged me. She was very forward, but then again, so was Jacob. I was stunned by her contact; it was strange have a normal human temperature in my presence. When she broke away, she backed away slightly, and glanced over at her brother. 'You right Jake. She is _beautiful_.'

'You said that?' I asked, looking over at Jake, slightly embarrassed that he had called me 'beautiful' especially to his older sister.

'Thanks Rach.' Jake rubbed the back of his head and shuffled his feet. I could have sworn I saw a hint of rouge fill his cheeks. The four of us stood there in silence for a few moments. I decided to break it.

'I should go shower. I think the 'vampire' smell is even beginning to get to me' I joked, trying to be funny. Both Rachel and Billy smiled in the corners of their mouths. Jake just rubbed his head again awkwardly.

'No, you smell lovely to me. Kind of like strawberries, don't you think Jake?' Rachel smiled over at Jake, who was definitely sporting a blush. I saw Jake smile uneasily.

'Anyway, let's go get you changed, and we'll pick out some killer outfits for tonight. Sound like a plan?' Rachel said to me enthusiastically.

'Sounds great' I replied not entirely sure what to say in this moment.

Rachel took me by my arm and began leading me towards her bedroom.' Besides, I need a chat with somebody other than a bunch of self professed 'macho men,' She turned back to face Billy and Jake who were both looking a little gobsmacked at Rachel's fascination with me. 'You don't mind if I steal her for a bit do you Jay?'

Jake looked lost for words. In all fairness, it didn't look like he had a choice. _Or me for that matter_. 'Sure, sure.' He responded.

'Great, let's go then.' Rachel continued pulling my arm. I turned back to face Jake and saw him mouth _'I'm sorry.'_ I smiled before turning the corner to Rachel's bedroom. There was no way I was getting out of this. That was the only thing I was sure about.

* * *

The BBQ didn't start until 8.30pm, which was late for an August night, but it gave Rachel plenty of time to get to know me. For some strange reason, she was keen to know a lot about me. She was the first person to sit me down and ask about me and not treat me like some _freaky vampire hybrid_. Oh course, I lied for a large percent of it, especially the part where she asked me about where I had been living. That much information was something I was not ready to dish out just yet. Rachel told me about her time at Washington State University, studying biochemistry which interested me a lot and she talked about her recent field trip study. I was pretty impressed that she had gotten on the course by getting a scholarship. By the time Rachel has finished playing around with my hair (which she declared was the most beautiful hair she'd styled) and had a play around with some outfits, she finally was pleased with the end result.

'_Ta da'_ She revealed holding up a mirror to my face. I confess, looking back at my reflection, even I was a little shocked. I had never considered myself beautiful, but somehow, Rachel had made me feel beautiful. She had left my hair natural and pulled half of it up leaving my bangs to hang down freely and the rest of my hair was left down and tousled. My pale skin was still, well pale, but she had added a tiny hint of blush to my cheeks and she had put a small layer of brown eye shadow across my lids. My lips were the same colour; they always had a rose colour about them. She had dressed me in a long sleeved green dress which came just below my knees, black leggings and a thin red fashion scarf to wear around my neck (at my request due to my need to hide my scar)

I looked in the mirror and sighed.

'What's wrong? Don't you like it?' Rachel asked, sounding disappointed.

'No, nothing like that. I'm just a little nervous about tonight. They know _what_ I am, and I guess I am..._anxious_ about their reaction to me.' I wasn't lying. I was felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I felt sick and slightly nauseous - I had spent the last few days cooped up on the Rez and the only time I had been out was when I was going to see the Cullens.

'You wouldn't hurt anybody. I know that and I've known you for 2 hours,' she smiled as she styled her own hair into a braid. 'And most importantly, Jake _knows _that too.'

I smiled at that thought. 'Are you always this accepting of the _supernatural_?'

Rachel smiled to herself. 'Let's just say, you're not the first _supernatural_ being I've encountered.'

I thought about her words carefully, and went against my initial judgement to question her further. A picture came into my head, like Rachel was thinking about something, but it was blurred. I shook my head trying to rid of the picture that was causing me so much confusion.

' Are you okay Anna?' Rachel questioned.

I swallowed hard. 'Fine. Just fine.'

I suddenly heard Billy's voice echo through the house which was our signal to get moving. I got up off the floor and put on a pair of plimsoles that Rachel had specifically picked out for me. Rachel opened the door and led the way to the kitchen. Billy was dressed in a denim shirt and was sporting his brown leather hat that he loved. His eyes widened when he say me as I walked into the kitchen.

'Well, I see Rachel really did have you pinned down for the past two hours,' Billy smiled. 'You look very nice Anna.'

Rachel walked past me, smiling and admiring the wonderful miracle she has performed on me and stood beside her dad. 'Wait til Jake sees her. His heart will rip out of his chest.' Rachel whispered to her father thinking I wouldn't hear her.

_Vampire hearing sweeheart. _

The door to house opened and Jake walked in. My eyes were fixated on him. He was clad in a pair of Levi's and a white wife beater. He was wearing a checked shirt, which he had left open. I swear it was like an open invitation to his abs. More importantly, it was one I willing to RSVP to without any hesistation.

'Anna, you look-' Jake began, widening his eyes at me.

'You too.' I replied. _We didn't need words. It would have only made us both look silly. _

I rubbed the back of my head, and bit my lip. The way Jake looked at me stirred something inside of me. The way his eyes scanned me and the way I saw his hands twitched, sent a small electric shock through my system; something I was not accustomed to.

'Shall we go?' Billy spoke, breaking the ice. We all nodded and exited the house. Just as we stepped out, I got an image in my head. An image of a male. _Paul._

'_Great'_ I hissed under my breath. True to my words, Paul was walking over towards the car. Rachel ran straight to Paul who embraced her and kissing her passionately.

PDA: not really my thing.

'Jesus,' Jake snarled which caused me to laugh. Billy wheeled his chair towards the car. 'Hey, cool it _lovebirds_. She may be your girlfriend, but she's my daughter, so keep your hands where I can see them Paul.'

'Sure thing, Billy. She's just so beautiful, it's hard not to. You know how it is when you've imp-'

Paul never got to finish his sentence because Billy coughed loudly interrupting Paul's speech. 'Can you help me into the van Paul?'

Paul and Rachel ran over to Billy and slid the door open and began helping Billy inside. I couldn't help but observe the way Paul and Rachel glowed in each other's company. This was more than just 'young love', this was something far stronger. _That much I knew. _

Once Billy was inside, Rachel hopped inside. Jacob and I walked towards the van with the keys. Paul turned to me and acknowledged my presence. 'Anna,' he nodded.

'Nice to see you again Paul.' I replied, trying to be polite. Paul got in the back with Billy and Rachel, and I took the passenger seat.

'You ready?' Jake questioned me as he set himself into the driver's seat.

'As ready as I'll ever be.' I replied, trying to sound like I was okay with the situation. In all honesty, I was a little frightened, but I knew with Jake, I would be safe.

* * *

The campfire was huge on First beach. This was the first time I was meeting everybody on the Rez since my 'arrival' six days ago. Part of me was not looking forward to seeing Leah again, yet Seth, I would welcome with open arms. I had yet to meet the infamous Emily who had only arrived back a few hours ago with Sam, Quil and Claire, Emily's niece. There were loads of people gathered on the beach as I got out of Billy's van. Jake sensed that something was not completely right with me.

'You nervous Anna?' He questioned sweetly standing right next me. I felt like Jake was my bodyguard or something.

I took a deep breath. _Come on Anna, pull it together_. 'You have no idea.'

My thoughts were interupted when I heard a voice shout in the distance. 'Hey Jake! Hey Anna!' Seth came running over smiling contagiously. There was something about Seth that made him shine from the inside out. It was like he did not have a bad bone in his body. He shook Jake's hand before shaking mine. The cold didn't seem to bother him at all. 'Glad you could make it.'

'Is Leah here?' Jake asked cautiously.

'Yeah, but she's inside looking after Claire with Quil. She wont be any trouble Anna, so don't worry.'

'It's not her I'm worried about' I whispered.

'Oh, I forgot to introduce you. Hey mom!' Seth shouted over to his mother. She was a beautiful woman of about early forties, with hazel hair tied up in a ponytail. You could tell she was Leah and Seth's mother.

'Jacob, lovely to see you again.' She said pulling Jake into a hug.

'Always a pleasure Sue.' Jake smiled warmly. Sue turned to look at me, and her face was welcoming. I didn't feel intimidated by her at all.

'This is Anna mom. The girl we found in the woods.' Seth gave a informal introduction. Sue leant forward and took my hand. I did feel her twitch a little, probably due the coldness of my hand in comparison to her human body temperature but she made no fuss about it. 'Finally, it's nice to finally meet the young lady we've heard so much about.' Sue said kindly, shaking my hand. 'Seth has told me all about you.'

'He has?' I responded curiously. 'Only good things I hope?'

'Yes, and he told me you were pretty.'

I smiled at Seth. 'How sweet.'

'Well it is a pleasure to meet you. I trust you are feeling better now?'

I wasn't sure at first what she meant, but I suddenly twigged. She was referring to my diet.

'I am now, thank you. I have to say, Seth is a credit to you. He's a lovely young man.' I praised.

Sue smiled. 'I understand, you and Leah did not exactly see eye to eye.'

I felt a little uncomfortable at that statement, mainly because, it was an understatement. 'I completely understand that she may hold a prejudice to me –'

'Its not your fault honey. She's – has been going through a lot lately. I'll make no excuses for her, but don't take what she says literally or personally. She has a quick tongue.'

I couldn't help but smile to myself. 'That's my problem too Mrs Clearwater.'

'Please call me Sue,' she replied sweetly. 'Anyway, I must introduce you to the girls, because they are dying to meet you. Rachel, would you care to join us?'

'Sure thing Sue.' Rachel smiled, leaning to give Paul a kiss. I heard Jake groan again. I chuckled to myself.

I felt Jake lean towards me. 'Are you okay about all of this? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.' He was dangerously close to me once again.

I took a deep breath and I let my eyes meet with Jake's. Thos enticing deep brown eyes...

'Jake, your sister will look after me. I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, if any of them start...' I decided it was appropriate to made a scary vampire face, baring my canine teeth. Jake smiled, before rolling his eyes at me. He knew I would never lay a finger on anybody on the Rez. I am a vegetarian vampire and a vegetarian vampire I shall remain...

Until the Volturi find me and tear me apart and burn my remains that is.

'Oh and one other thing,' Jake leaned in once more, getting even closer. He was so close now that his mouth was near my ear. 'Don't go too far.' He moved away and shot me a smile before walking off down the beach with Paul. What the hell did he mean by that? It was like he was warning me. If he was referring to the aching pain I was now feeling as he walked away from me, then yeah, I agree. I'm not going to stray to far away from him. Rachel interupted me staring at Jake as she grabbed my arm as her and Sue lead me up the beach towards a group of girls who were sat around a BBQ. I got some unusual stares from some of the members of Rez, but I didn't expect anything less. How would anybody react to having a vampire hybrid living on their lands?

As I got closer to the group of girls, I felt a twitch of nerves. I had no idea how they were going to react to me.

'Oh, by the way, don't stare at Emily when you see her.' Rachel warned me as we covered the last few metres of sand distancing myself from the girls.

'What do you mean?' I stopped dead in my tracks as I asked Rachel what she meant about not staring at Emily. Rachel sighed and pulled me closer. 'You'll understand when you see her. Just don't make a big deal about it all.'

I just nodded. I had no idea what to expect from Emily now that Rachel has warned me not to stare. There was no way Emily could be ugly. None of these girls could be ugly - from what I had seen, the girls on the Rez all had flawless skin and thick dark hair. They were the epitome of beautiful.

The girls looked up from their the BBQ as I approached. Sue went before me. 'Kim, Emily, Sara: This is Anna, the Black's new lodger.' All three girls looked up at me. Rachel gave me a push forward.

'Hello,' I said nervously. All three girls stood up. I noticed the one with the longest hair which was beautiful braided into two plaits came towards me first. 'I'm Emily.'

Wow, I understood what Rachel said before. There was a reason why she warned me not to stare. Down one side of Emily's face she has three scars; three every distinct scars. It was amazing how even with these scars, she was stunning. She held her hand out to me and I embraced it with my own.

'I'm Anna.' I responded kindly.

'Welcome to La Push. I'm sorry it's taken so long for us to finally meet, but from what I've heard, you've been quite a mystery to the Rez.' Emily's voice was calm and soothing. She appeared genuiune and sincere considering what _I _was.

The girl with shorter hair was next in line. 'I'm Kim. I'm Jared's girlfriend.'

I remembered Jared briefly from the first day here. The day that I was brought back to La Push. 'Nice to meet you'

The last girl has her hair cut into a bob and she had the most piercing jet black eyes I had ever seen. She seemed a little hesistant towards me at first, but she still appeared polite, especially when she held her hand out to mine, just like Kim and Emily had done. 'I'm Sara.'

I didn't know what to make of all of this. It was amazing how gracious everyone had been to me.

'Come, sit and talk to us,' Emily grabbed my hand and sat me down with the girls in the sand. 'We're dying to know about you.'

I was even more confused now. Did they really want to know about me? Jesus, if they've got a decade, I'll gladly recite my biography. 'Really? Well what would you like to know?' I made myself comfortable sitting next to Emily and Rachel, Kim sat to Emily's right, Sara to her right and the finally, Sue closed the circle that we had now formed.

'Are you truly half and half?' Kim blurted out which immediately made me, Sara, Rachel and Sue laugh.

'Kim! Have a little bit of tact.' Emily interrupted slapping Kim's arm.

'Sorry' Kim grumbled. 'You know what I meant didn't you Anna?' She asked looking over at me.

I nodded sincerely. 'It's okay. I'm actually not half human, half vampire. I'm more vampire than human, so I guess that would class me as being a hybrid.'

The girls nodded between themselves before the next question was fired at me. 'So how are you're bruises? Are they all healed?'

I was just about to answer when I stopped myself. Something just occurred to me. 'How did you know about them?' I asked curiously. Kim shuffled nervously in her spot in the sand. Emily shuffled closer to me. 'Well, when Sam and Jacob found you in the woods, they brought you here and myself and Kim examined you to ensure you were okay and that's when we found the bruises.'

Wow, so they had taken care of me? 'Well, thank you for you kindness. I wish I could have thanked you both earlier.'

Emily smiled. 'We are always there to help those in need, vampires, or not'

I smiled back at Emily. I could see myself having a nice friendship with her and these girls. I was just such a shame I was going to be leaving tomorrow.

'So tell us, where are you from? Your accent is very unique.' Kim questioned.

Americans. They're always so curious about accents.

'Well originally, I was born in France, but I have lived all over really. I made my home in England for many years.'

I wasn't lying... well, not entirely.

'I love English accents... and English guys for that matter!' Sara exclaimed, which sent the rest of the group into fits of laughter including myself. 'They're so much more interesting and intellectual than most American guys...'

Sara was cut short due to a massive eruption of cheers and wolf whistles which made us girls turn our attention over to the lower part of the beach. The guys were running circles around Paul who had lost an arm wrestle to none other than Sam Uley. I couldn't help but scoff a little.

'Well, English guys are more interesting and intellectual than the guys we asccociate ourselves with!' Sara rolled her eyes at the boys who were now running around shirtless, jabbing each other in a playful manner. I smiled as I saw Jake tackle Embry in the sand. Gosh, some people just never grow up. I guess Jacob Black is one them.

'You'll get used to them.' Emily sighed standing to her feet. 'Hey guys! Put your shirts back on before you give our guest a heart attack.' The boys jeered and wolf whistled once more which only made the blood rush to my cheeks. Emily walked over to the BBQ and began loading the food onto plates. 'Get yourselves decent because the food is ready!'

Once again, the guys broke out into cheers and threw their shirts on and walked up the beach towards the fire. Me, Rachel, Sara, Sue and Kim all made our way to the campfire and took a seat. Emily began handing the plates to everyone; I accepted a plate only because I wanted to be polite and fit in. The guys began taking their seats fully clothed, except for Embry, who has slung his shirt over his shoulder.

'Em, what did I telling about looking decent in front of our _guest_?' Emily questioned.

Everyone turned to look at me in that moment. Again, cheeks flushed a shade pinker. 'She loves it!' Embry mocked taking a seat next to me, which I sensed annoyed Jake a little bit. Jake sat so he was opposite me. I had Rachel sat to my left. Suddenly I didn't feel so strange. I felt, _normal. _

Jake did not look away from me for one second throughout the whole meal. I felt his eyes on me, even when I wasn't looking at him (which was not a lot because I couldn't take my eyes off him while he was wearing that white wife beater). I think other people were noticing the sneaky looks me and Jake were giving each other because they kept sniggering. I had to swallow every inch of appetite I had for Jake. I gave my food to Embry after a while because there was no way that food could satisfy what I wanted. I _wanted_ Jake. I _wanted_ every part of him. If only people knew what I wanted to do to those abs, I feared I would be locked up because it was that sinful. I _wanted_ my tongue on those abs...

But first, I _wanted _to know his secret.

* * *

'Okay, I dare you to throw Anna into the sea.' Embry jeered as the Jack Daniels bottled that had been spinning for the past half an hour landed on Jake. Jake had chosen 'dare' straight away, with little hesistation. There were 'oooos' and 'ahhh' sounds made from around the circle as Embry set Jake his challenge.

'That's hardly a fair dare Embry. The girl has only been here for five days. Talk about making her feel welcome.' Emily exclaimed.

I simply grinned at what Embry suggested. There was no way that this dare was going ahead. 'It's okay Emily. It's not like Jake would dare anyway.' I responded confidently. _I wanted to make this a challenge. _

Jake's smile turned to a wolfish grin. 'I _wouldn't_ dare?' He questioned leaning across the circle towards me.

I shook my head cockily. 'No way.' I emphasised each word, stressing it so it would rile Jake up.

He raised his eyebrows in response. 'You care to put a wager on that?' He smirked sexily.

I got to my feet and moved out of the circle. I threw my jacket to the floor before I removed my shoes. Everybody stared at me in confusion, except Jake who could not keep his eyes off me. I stood on the sand overlooking the circle. 'Well Jacob Black, I'll take your wager but... you'll have to catch me first!' And with that I sprinted off along the cliff top, using my vampire skills of speed to full advantage. I raced towards the cliffs on First Beach not stopping. I raced up the slope leading to one of the lower cliffs not stopping to look behind me. Little did I realise that this was my first mistake. I felt a pair of warm hands grip my waist tightly restricting me from moving. 'You're fast, A familiar husky voice spoke placing his mouth next to my ear, so seductively I melted into his embrace. 'But I'm faster!' and then without a moments hesistation, Jake threw me into the water. The scene replayed in slow motion and I anticipated the temperature of the water when I would hit it. I then came up for air. Downside of being a hybrid - sometimes, we do need to breathe.

I looked up eyeing Jake who was stood high and mighty with his muscualr arms crossed over his chest. Urgh, how I wanted to hate him!

'You are truly evil Mr Black'

Jake folded his arms across his muscular chest, and smirked. 'Coming from a vampire, I'll take it as a compliment.'

I rolled eyes and bared my teeth at him.

'Your fangs don't scare me' Jake sniggered.

'Just shut up and help me out.'

He extended his arm and I grabbed his hand. I felt an electric spark shoot through my body, purely because of the heat radiating from his hand. I entwined my fingers through his not removing my eyes from his. I exhaled deeply getting closer and closer to him. And then I set my plan in action. I yanked hard on his hand causing him to fall in the freezing cold water.

He surfaced just inches away from my body. 'You're so dead.'

'Well, actually, I think you'll find you're only half true dear.' I smirked back at began to swim near me so I ducked under the water avoiding his embrace. I waited for a few moments before resurfacing. I splashed him with water and I sensed that it would soon turn into a water fight. He tried to grab me and succeeded as he grabbed my waist. He pulled me towards him despite my weak attempt at trying to escape because I was laughing. I pushed my hands against his strong chest instantly feeling the smouldering heat that burnt my fingertips.

'I've told you before. Don't struggle it will make it worse. Just accept that I won!'

'Never!' I shouted. Soon enough though he stopped moving and just held me where I was. I stopped moments later. I was staring into Jake's eyes now and I couldn't stop. It was only as I shifted myself in his embrace did I suddenly realise something so obvious that I didn't even see it. Jake was not shaking like how a person would shiver in order to warm their body up. It was as if his body was not reacting the way you would expect a human too. I could feel the heat beneath my fingertips and he was boiling - just like he always was. I bit my lip considering how close we were to each other. Was it possible that the reason I had not figured Jake out yet was purely because I had not considered that he may not be entirely human?

I shook my head, breaking my eye contact with Jake. I looked up towards the sky.

'It's a full moon.' I pointed out before looking back at him.

Jake's eyes flickered. 'So it is.' _He was hiding something._

I was so close now. So close to discovering what had rattled my brain for the past 48 hours. His fingers pressed against the back of my now wet t-shirt, and yet I still felt the heated tips embed into my skin. His breathing was shallow. I realised my fingers were still on his chest. My fingertips could feel the beat of his heart pulsing under his shirt, under his skin. I felt my finger tap in time with the beat...

'HEY! JAKEY BOY. Stop playing around with Anna! You're missing all the fun!' I heard Embry's voice boom from the cliff.

We quickly broke apart although I was sensing none of us wanted to.

I was quicker at swimming than Jake, mainly because I didn't need to breathe too much when I was underwater. Embry helped me out and Paul and Jared began to lay in Jake for allowing himself to be pulled into the water by a girl. I thought it best to laugh it off. I shivered slightly as the cold air hit my skin. Jake picked up on it instantly.

'Are you cold Anna?' He asked protectively running towards me.

'Aren't I always?' I replied, still shivering.

'Duh dude! She's a freaking vamp! They're always damn cold, ain't that right V-Girl?' Jared said jokily as he ruffled my wet hair.

_V-Girl._ Of all the nicknames I could have had, and this lot has stuck me with V-Girl. I was beginning to get used to it I guess. It was kind of catchy when I heard it over and over again. I could live with it.

'Don't worry Anna, I'm sure Jake will _warm_ you up.' Embry winked at me. I rolled my eyes at Embry's masculine comment. I understood that these guys were forever running a fever, but I knew there was some kind of innuendo hidden beneath the words.

'Yeah, I'm sure he'll break you out in a sweat -' Paul started. Ha, Paul. _Always getting his two pennies worth. _

'Guys - can it yeah?' Jake warned. Embry, Paul and Jared soon got the message and began to walk back up the beach laughing away to themselves.

'Idiots,' Jake said as they walked away.

'That's just males in general.' I corrected him.

Jake nodded in agreement and shook his wet hair, before running his fingers through it.

Okay, now he was seriously tempting me.

'Are you sure you've okay? You look freezing.' Jake seemed very concerned.

I rolled my eyes. 'I'm a hybrid. I can run hot and cold whenever I please. I can survive being cold. However, I think some a cup of cocoa will make me feel better.'

'Sure thing. Emily makes the best cup of cocoa ever. Come on,' he held out his hand to me, and for some unknown reason, I accepted it. We walked down the cliff and back onto the beach. Everybody was sat down by the campfire again. Most of the elders had gone home, including Billy. As we approached the group, there was an uproar of laughter and everybody turned to face us. It was just a natural reaction for me to release Jake's hand purely because of who I was in the company of. Rachel made it the most obvious that they had been talking about something related to Jake purely because hers and Paul's eyes lit up the minute they saw Jake and I coming.

'What – what the hell did you tell them Rach?' Jake questioned rather defensively.

'Don't worry Jakey,' Leah chipped in. 'Rach was just telling us how you used to dress up in girls clothes and call yourself Josephine-'

I sensed Jake panic.

'Hey I was outnumbered, 2:1!'

'Yeah, by _girls_.' Paul laughed.

The group started laughing. 'Hey I don't know what you're laughing about Paul. I saw you walking in Rachel's stilettos last Christmas.' Jake smirked folding his arms across his chest.

'Hey I was really _really_ drunk!' Paul defended, erupting a laugh from Jared, Embry and Seth.

'Whatever, _Pauline' _Jacob answered.

Paul got to his feet like he was challenging Jake. 'You are so dead Jacob Black'

'You have to catch me first. You might wanna talk your stilettos off for this one.' Jake sniggered.

_I love Jake's quick wit_.

'Ill be 10 minutes.' He whispered to me before he ran off down the beach towards the forest. Paul started after him.

'Ten bucks says Paul takes him.' Jared said turning to Embry.

'Fifteen on Black. You know he's a natural.'

I had no idea what they were talking about, but was guessing it was some testosterone fuelled game. My mind had tracked Jake as far as the forest and I lost sight of him after that. His image disappeared. Most of the guys including Leah and Emily got up to get some more beers from the cooler which meant I has some alone time with Rachel who was still sat by the fire.

'I see you and Jake had fun.' She laughed seeing my wet frame. My hair was tangled all because of Jacob - bloody - Black.

I scoffed. 'If you call being thrown into freezing sea water fun, I'd give him ten out of ten.'

Rachel laughed in return.

I got comfortable before bombarding Rachel with yet more questions that I wanted answering. Now was a better time than any. It had no distractions and Jake wasn't around. If anybody could give me answers, I was pinning my hopes on Rachel.

'Doesn't it bother you, you know, _what_ I am?'

'I don't care what you are Anna,' Rachel replied honestly.

'What did you mean earlier when you said that I wasn't the only _supernatural encounter_ that you've had?'

Rachel sighed before facing me. 'Let's just say, you can't help who you fall in love with.' She glanced over to Paul who was having an arm wrestle with Jared. Her eyes glowed and she smiled as she looked at him.

'You and Paul, you really love each other don't you?'

She nodded sweetly. 'When you have a connection as strong as we do, it's a difficult thing to tamper with.'

'I see you and Paul, Emily and Sam and Jared and Kim. I have never seen connections like that before. It's like... _magic_ or something.'

'You wouldn't be far wrong.'

I was struck by her words. She seemed to have that affect a lot. 'What do you mean by that?'

'I've probably said too much.' Rachel rubbed her hands on her legs nervously.

'Or maybe not enough' I responded, cleverly trying to push her for more information.

Rachel smiled. 'You're good at manipulation. I _admire_ you.'

I smiled back. I could see myself and Rachel having a good relationship. It was shame I couldn't stay long enough.

'Have you and Jacob really spoken at all since you've been here?' Rache asked curiously.

I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. 'No, not really. He seems to have 'meetings' a lot if you understand me. I'm not sure what about.'

'Well, have you ever questioned him?'

'It's not my place to question him. I barely even know him.'

Rachel leaned in to me. 'I'll give you some advice. _Question_ him.'

I was getting closer. I just needed one more question and one simple answer. 'Rachel, can I ask you something?'

'Sure, go ahead.'

'I'll understand if you can't tell me but, does La Push have a _secret?'_

Rachel swallowed hard. I could tell she was hiding something. '_Everywhere _has a secret. Just like _everyone_ has a secret.'

_She's wasn't bloody wrong there. _

She was hinting. I could tell. I was half way to the puzzle, and I needed her to help me.

'Even Jake?'

Rachel remained expressionless. 'Like I said, _everybody has a secret_.' She repeated herself and as she did, she widened her eyes, and in that single look, she told me everything I needed to know. One picture was implanted into my mind and I could no longer pretend like I didn't know. The puzzle was done.

'You _know _what is. You have done since you came here but you needed time to figure it out properly' Rachel said calmly, getting onto her feet. 'You should tell him.'

It was my turn to swallow hard. Flashing images appeared in my head. They all attacked at once. I felt dizzy_. _

_I was back in the woods. My eyes were glowing as I stared at the figure in front of me. _

'_It cannot be 'I whispered.' The last thing I remember was a russet wolf..._

* * *

I shot up. It took me a few seconds to realise I was in bed as I gripped the bed covers. I was back in Rebecca's room. I could not remember how I had gotten back here. I pulled back the covers and I walked over to the window. The moon was still high in the sky - still full, still as beautiful as ever. I rubbed my head trying to steady my breathing. I heard a noise next door, coming from Jake's bedroom. I could hear him. He was talking in his sleep, but not in a good way.

An image entered my mind. _Jake was running; he was running through some woods. _

I opened the door of Rebecca's room, and looked down the corridor. I still had Jake's dream in my head. _He was still running_. _Running the fastest he had ever ran._ I approached his door, and slowly opened it. _He kept on running. He wasn't running away from something, he was running too something. _I peered inside, and Jake was fast asleep. He was dressed in only his combats, leaving his glorious physique on display. _Jake reached a cliff. The same cliff overlooking First Beach. The same beach we had been to tonight. _I walked over to where his bed was, and sat down on a wooden chair he had next to it. _I could see that he was looking at something. I saw a girl stood at the edge of the cliff, her arms spread out like an eagle. I saw the look of panic on Jake's face. _I stared deeper at Jake's face. He looked so beautiful as he slept, but the frowning of his eyebrows suggested to me that he was scared. _Jake edged towards the girl. His voice was not audible. He was screaming out to the girl, but she paid no attention to him. _I watched Jake shake in his dream, I saw his hands grip the sheets. I backed off in the chair but I felt the need to calm him down. _Suddenly, the girl fell. She let herself fall. _Jake yelled in his dream, which made me instantly grab for his hand. He didn't wake, he just shook. I held on tightly as he began to calm down. _I saw his mind go blank. It just faded like the experience never existed. _

I now realise whatever this dream is, it has given Jake a nightmare; it had scared him. The girl was blurred in my vision, but I recognised it to be a female nonetheless. I remember that Jake had a thing for Bella Swan; maybe this was Jake's way of accepting that Bella had gone from his life. He had let her go to be with Edward. Either way, I eneveloped my hand into Jake's warm hand, knowing full well now that I was not the only supernatural being in this household.

_I know what you are Jacob Black. And boy, the Volturi will not know what hit them. _


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Sorry sorry sorry for not updating for nearly 5 weeks! I'm even angry at myself. I went away on holiday, and started my new job and rehearsals have started kicking in so I've had NO time. Hope you are all okay and that enjoy this chapter, despite the fact that it is mega late! And...Hope you all had a good Halloween :) **

**I can not stress enough how much reviews mean to a writer, so please REVIEW. **

'LIKE A MOTH TO FLAME'... LET'S HOPE I DON'T GET BURNT.

I awoke the next day to a strange smell in my room. A combination of strawberries and lavender. _Had Anna been in my room last night?_ I lifted my head up, and shook my head trying to erase last night's images. I remembered that I'd had a dream last night. The same dream I had the night I first found Anna. I had a feeling that it was going to become a regular thing every few days and I had no fucking idea what it meant. It was times like this I wish I believed in all that _'dream meaning' _crap, but was in serious doubt that that would help me figure this one out. Anna must have been tired last night because she had fallen asleep on the beach near the campfire. I remember how her body felt in my arms as I drove her back to my house. How her long auburn hair hung down past my forearms, how her slender body moulded into my own skin and how her eyes flickered as she sleep. Those deep violet eyes...

I reached over to retrieve my white wife beater when I felt strain on my chest. Something didn't feel right.

_Anna._

I opened my bedroom door and walked to Rebecca's bedroom. I knocked on the door.

_Nothing_.

I opened the door to the bedroom. The bed was made neatly, the curtains were open and the room smelled delicious. I swallowed her scent, knowing full well she was not here. I began to panic, but I needed to reassure myself that there was a perfectly logical explanation for why Anna was no longer in my house. I managed to get my breathing back to normal, but I could feel my heart was thudding hard against my chest._ I had to find her._ As I began walking down the corridor of my house, I heard the TV blazing from the living room along with a girlish laugh. The laugh that was so distinctive, it could only have belonged to my sister. I walked into the kitchen and I saw the top of Paul's head on my couch.

Urgh.

'Jeez Paul, don't you have you're own home to go to?' I moaned.

_I wish Paul would fuck off to his own house. _

'Jay, don't be rude' Rachel called from the sofa. I heard the ruffling of a bag coming from Paul's direction.

'Do you have _my_ doritoes?' I asked authouritively.

I heard Paul snigger. 'Your sister said go ahead and help myself to whatever I wanted,' Paul replied smugly. 'So I am. I have _your_ doritoes in one hand,' he held the bag up so I could see it. 'And _your_ sister in the other.'

Rachel giggled. To be honest, I didn't care too much for his tone of voice.

'Hey, maybe the warning from my dad didn't sink in yesterday. Just because you and my sister are like a _'thing'_ doesn't mean I wanna see you stick your tongue down her throat, so keep it PG -13 yeah? We have a guest in the house,' I opened the fridge door, grabbing a carton of oj to calm my anxieties about Anna's whereabouts. 'Speaking of which, where is Anna this morning? She wasn't in her room.'

Paul coughed. 'Your _vampire hybrid_ took a walk this morning. She seemed pretty spaced out.'

'What?'

'Yeah, she took off down First Beach.'

I slammed the carton on the kitchen table angrily. 'Why didn't you stop her?'

'Jesus Jake! She only went for a walk. Why are you always acting so dominant around her?' Paul questioned. _I didn't have time for Paul's questions right now_. 'Although, I guess somebody should keep a leash on her. You never know when her vampire instincts might kick in.'

I grabbed a pillow and aimed it Paul's head, disrupting his PDA with my sister.

'HEY! What the hell Jake!' Paul reacted as the pillow zonked him right on the back of the head with a powerful force, that even I was impressed.

Rachel got up off the sofa covered in orange juice and not looking too happy. I knew that face - and that face Rach was giving me was not my friend.

'Cheers Jake.' She hissed angrily.

'Anytime.' I smirked. She pushed past me and walked over to the sink and began to wipe the juice off her shirt.

Paul rose off the sofa. 'You wanna get defensive, bring it kid. I don't need Rachel to protect me.'

_The offer was so tempting._

Rachel scoffed from the sink, causing me to smirk.

'Yeah, right. Like you wouldn't go crying to her first chance.' I sneered.

Paul crossed his arms across his chest. 'I'm not gonna go tattle on you to a girl. If you managed to get a lucky hit, then that would just be between the two of us. But that's never gonna happen though.' Paul slummed back down into the sofa, with his hands behind his head. He had just provided me with an open invitation to punch his lights out.

_As if was gonna turn this one down._

I walked over and slummed myself down on the sofa next to him. His eyes didn't not break away from the TV. He was too convinced that I wouldn't take a swing_. How every wrong he was_.

I lunged.

I got it.

And believe me, it was such a satisfying crunch.

Paul yelled out clutching his nose which was now gushing blood. He made a grab for me, but I simply dodged him, grabbing the doritoes as I began to dance across the kitchen cockily. _Yes, I was pretty proud of such a worthy punch. _

'You fucking dick Black!' Paul cursed angrily.

I leant over the kitchen counter, smirking as I placed a dorito in my mouth. 'Just between us right Paul?'

Rachel nudged my arm and walked over to her _'beloved'._ 'That was a bit uncalled for Jay,' she bent down to take a look at Paul's nose. In a few seconds, it stopped bleeding after Rachel ordered him to lean his head back. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing Paul, the so called '_macho male'_ ego of the pack, lying back on my sofa, moaning about a broken nose, whilst having my sister attend to him.

_Well, there were other things that would satisfy me and not one of them did not relate to Anna._

Paul hissed as Rachel placed some ice on his nose. 'You're such a pain Jacob. I swear I'd rather hang out with Leah.'

'Well, there's the door if you need it.' I said calmly, using my left hand to show him the nearest exit. Paul rolled his eyes at me from the sofa.

'Well if you'd just given him the note instead of teasing him with your ego, none of this would have happened.' Rachel spoke.

I loved how calm Rachel was all of the time. Nothing ever made her raise her voice... well not too loud anyhow. She only ever raised her voice properly once, and that's when Rebecca ripped the head off her Malibu Barbie when she was six. Or at least, she thought it was Rebecca...

Rachel walked over to me, handing me a small note. 'Anna left if for you this morning.' Rachel's hand suddenly grabbed my arm tightly. '_Don't open it here_,' she whispered, probably so Paul couldn't hear. 'And, promise me one thing?'

'Sure sure' I replied as I always do.

Rachel's eye narrowed. '_Don't loose control, please.'_

I was confused as Hell. _Why would lose control? _

I placed the note in my combat pocket and reached for my trainers. 'See you Rach,' I called back anxious to try and get out of the house to read this note. 'Bye, _Pauline'_

I left my house, and unravelled the note and saw Anna's beautiful hand writing for the first time.

_Jacob,_

_Sorry to leave so early._

_Meet me on First Beach when you get this._

_I just want you know, I know._

In that split second, I shoved the note in my pocket and spared no time in running as fast I could. As the adrenaline pulsed through my body, eager to get to Anna, a thousand thoughts spun through my head._ Did_ _she know what I was? Did she know I was dangerous? Did she know my feelings for her? _

All of those things were on a continuous loop in my brain. I had no idea how to react to this.

I caught her scent and it drew me in like a moth to a flame. Sure enough I reached my destination at the cliff top. This scene seemed all too familiar to me. I stood there and saw Anna looking down at the sea. She turned to me; her piercing violet eyes should nothing but serenity. She stepped away from the cliff edge (much to my relief) and walked towards me. She stopped short of me, about three metres away. She didn't remove her eyes from me. She had such a strange effect on me, yet, it was nothing that I didn't welcome with open arms. Her rose lips had never looked more appetising and I saw her swallow hard, before exhaling.

'Let's take a walk, shall we Jake?'

She was calm. There was no sense of anger, or worry in her voice. It was angelic, loose, soothing almost. I nodded, knowing full well where this conversation might lead. If she knew what I was, then she would have a lot of questions to ask, and I knew full well that even against my better judgement, I would answer them with no delay. And so we set off down the beach and I cleared my head, waiting to hear what Anna knew.

* * *

We walked down the full length of the beach in complete silence. It didn't bother me, despite the itching need to say something to her. I just had no idea what to say. Anybody in her position would have run a mile now, but not _her._ She was _different._ She stopped suddenly and my body followed her actions.

'The weather is fine today.' She spoke. Her voice was something I would never tire of hearing.

_Gosh that sounds creepy when you hear it back. _

I stood there watching her as she glanced out at the tide, her arms hugging her petite figure. I had to say something because the suspense was killing me.

'Anna allow me to explain -' I stammered, but she raised her hand to stop me. She didn't look at me - instead her eyes remained fixed on the water as the tide came in and then back out again.

'May I speak first?' She enquired, as she took a seat on the sand, pulling her knees up to her chest. I nodded kindly, before taking a seat next to her. I felt the cool breeze (not that it was generally a problem for me as I run on a toasty 1-0-8) and I saw it flow through Anna's hair perfectly. She took a few moments to inhale the air, before she even made eye contact with me. I, oh course, was looking at her the whole time. I couldn't help it of course. It was God's fault for making her so damn beautiful. It was like he was tempting me.

_'Oh Jacob Black, as if I have not fucked up your life enough, how about I throw another girl into your life to complicate things further?' _

Yeah, thanks God.

I watched as she turned her head so she was now looking me in the eye. I noticed how her eyes appeared a little bit lighter; they were now more of a lavender colour. I was guessing that she was calm right now as nothing from her face suggested otherwise, which I decided to accept as a good sign.

'I _know_ Jake.' She said simply. It was as easy as that. Of course, I already knew that she knew from the note she left me this morning. The thing was, what DID she know exactly? Did she know I was a werewolf? Or about imprinting? Or both? I didn't really know which one was worse. I was pinning my hopes that it was the first one, and only that one. If she knew anything else, well, I may as well get my noose made already and put it to good use.

I sighed. 'Yeah, I kinda figured that part out for myself.' I reached into my pocket and held the note firmly in my hand. I looked up at her again making my eyes lock with hers. 'How long have you known?'

Anna never blinked. She just stared at my face, like she was studying my features. 'I don't know. I guess, well, I'm making an assumption, that I kind of knew all along, but it just took me a bit of time to fully acknowledge the situation.'

I had no idea what the hell she meant. If she knew all along, why had it taken her so long to say anything?

'Why didn't you tell me?' I asked her curiously. 'And how did you find out?'

Anna's eyes flashed as she looked at me. 'Well, I needed to get my facts right first. I am analyst; I like to ensure that my facts are in order and are correct,' She took a second to smile before continuing. 'And secondly, the physical signs were there. Super hot body temperature, deep set eyes, your smell, your – ' at this moment, I saw her blush (and how often can one make a vampire blush?) as her eyes scanned down my body to my wife beater, '_physique_ –' She stopped short of her sentence, and I sensed maybe she was a little embarrassed. I just smiled; it was doing wonders for my ego.

'And you're not afraid?' I asked cockily, smirking at her and raising my eyebrows. I was trying to be sexy, but I guess some things are destined to fail. Me, being sexy was one of those things.

Anna's lips turned into a smile. 'Afraid? _Please_, I have met scarier beings than you! I've had spiders under my bed scarier than you!' Anna scoffed.

_Instant Ego deflation. Oh well, good while it lasted_.

'Seriously, this doesn't scare you?' I pulled a growling face.

Anna laughed. 'Suddenly, I'm terrified!' she mocked. There was a little bit of an awkward silence between us. I watched as Anna ran her slender fingers through her hair before turning to face me again. 'Look, everybody has their secrets Jake. It's nothing to be _ashamed_ of.' I sensed in her tone that she was holding something back. How on earth could she accept me as werewolf knowing full well that I was her arch enemy in the supernatural world?

Oh. _Touche._

'So this whole thing doesn't bother you?' I questioned her seriously.

'The smell bothers me, _sometimes_.' She scrunched her nose up slightly which caused me to smile. 'Although, my smell is probably not too appealing to you either.'

_God, if only she knew how divine she actually smelt. It was taking a lot of effort not to lunge for her and run my tongue over her skin. _

'Bella and the Cullens know about you don't they?' Anna continued, interupting the images in my head. I nodded and bit my lip at the same time. Who says guys can't multi-task?

'Were the Cullens the ones who told _you_ what we are?' I questioned.

Anna swallowed hard. 'Surprisingly, no. Carlisle did mention something about '_La Push having its own defences' _on my first day and since then I have racked my brain trying to suss you out Jacob Black. I would have figured it out sooner, but your _friends_ seem to have a weird effect on my ability to visualise.'

Okay... what?

I widened my eyes at her. 'What do you mean?'

I watched Anna swallow hard once again. 'Your... your_ forms_ kind of mess with my ability to see.'

I was confused before, but now, I was mega confused. 'What are you saying? That you can't see us as wolves?'

She nodded. 'Something like that. I have a theory about it all. I'm guessing when you're in wolf form, my visuals are more blurred than when you're in human form, as you are now. When you're in wolf form, it's harder for me to track you. Your locations I mean.'

I stunned. This was freaky, and yet, I was interested by it all. 'So hang on, put it in laymen's terms. What is your power?'

I could see this was hard for Anna because she was rubbing her arms and her eyes were flickering which meant that she was anxious. Never say that I'm not observant.

'I'll make no mistake that I'm not like the other vampires you've met,' Anna began.

_You can say that again. _

_You're more than a hybrid. You're my imprint. My soulmate. My whole reason for existence._

I could have so easily have blurted that out in that moment, but I hesitated, realising baby steps was the best way to go.

Anna continued. 'You see, unlike Edward and Alice, whose powers are continuous, my powers have the ability to come and go as they please. I'm what my kind would call a _visual. _Basically, I _see_ in pictures. Edward can read minds, and see what your thinking. Well, I can see into peoples minds, but my power means that I can attack one area of the brain where images are stored. I can see images that have been stored in your head for decades and I can store them in my brain. If I was a full vampire, my power would be more permanant, but seeing as I am still partly human, it's not always reliable. I guess that best way to descibe it is sort of like having an on/off switch that I have no control over - I can locate places and recollect memories using pictures that people have in their minds. It's like somebody sending an email with only a picture attached,' this comment caused us both to laugh.

_God being with her was literally as easy as breathing._ '

'I know that's a strange analogy, but you get the message. Well, that night I was the woods, the night you found me, I had a visual but it was blurred. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but as you got closer, I saw inside your head. I'm guessing you were in wolf form, so it made it difficult, but I saw you before I passed out.'

'So you saw me that night? As a wolf?' I questioned.

'Yes. Trouble was, it took me until last night to recollect THAT particular image. You see, I can store multiple images in my head, and recollect them as I choose to.'

Wow, this a fucking unsual talent if ever I heard of one. It was a good job I was in love with her otherwise there was no way I'd get my head round this shit.

'Okay, so can you see anything in my head right now?' I challenged her.

I watched as Anna's eyes widened, and then she made a '0' shape with her mouth, before smiling. 'Wow, nice hit' She smirked. 'Paul probably deserved it right?'

Ah, I was replaying the punching Paul incident. _Yeah, I gotta get kudos for that one_.

'Yeah - its been a LONG time coming!' I smirked as replayed his face one more time. Yep, that ought to do it.

Anna just rolled her eyes at me, and looked at the ground. A thought suddenly hit me - what else had Anna seen inside my hormonal teenage brain. _Oh shit_.

'Hang on!What else have you seen in my head?' I heard myself panic a little.

Anna looked up and I saw her eyes flicker. I guess this was how she recollected images she had seen. 'Well, I've seen you sat around the camp fire with the other guys during meetings, you think about your stomach a lot and...' She paused for a minute, but it wasn't a good pause. I was worried about what was about to come out of her mouth. 'I've also seen you and Bella a few times, like, when you guys used to hang out in your garage.'

Thank fuck my mind had been blurred when I had visions of me making love to her, several times, in several different positions that I wasn't sure even existed. That would be pretty weird.

' Anna listen...about Bella...' I stammered.

'It's okay Jake,' she replied warmly reaching out for hand. As soon as her skin contacted with mine, I got a shooting sensation down my spine. 'You miss her. You're more than entitled to, I mean, she's your best friend right?'

_Urgh. Not this discussion all over again_.

'_Was_, my best friend' I corrected her. Anna just stared at me, and she knew I was hurting. I didn't want her to see me like this, and I wasn't about to get depressed over Bella because those feelings - whatever feelings I had for her - were now gone. Anna had replaced Bella. No, she had fulfilled a position that not even Bella could have, despite the feelings I thought I had for her. Anna was now my whole existence. I didn't have to fight against another guy for her heart - Anna already had mine and I couldn't take it back now. I just hoped that given a chance, Anna would give me hers.

'Have you seen anything else?' - like _you_? I didn't continue that sentence.

It was Anna turn to look confused. 'I've seen myself a few times.'

I was struck. Shit, so she had seen herself in my head. This was bad. Not to mention - completely embarrassing!

'Anna - I can explain...'

'Explain what Jake? You thought about me the night you found me, and then again when I was lying in Emily's house unconscious... I'd think that's pretty normal for a human being to think about what's before their eyes. A little disturbing for me though - I never imagined I would look so bad. It was actually weird for me to see myself like that.'

Right, so she hadn't seen me doing weird sex things to her. Okay, this was fine. I could deal with this.

'So I guess your power comes in useful sometimes eh?' I smiled, still impressed by her talent.

Anna's face dropped. 'Yeah I guess so.' She didn't sound convincing.

_If I could have punched myself in the face right then, I would have._ Here's _an idea Jacob – engage brain before speech._ 'I guess sometimes having a power is not always so great.' I tried to not make myself like a total jackass.

'You could say that. Sometimes, I can get images thrown at me all at the same time and that is why I find it harder to recollect a _visual._ That's probably why it took me so long to find _your_ image. My body was in shock.'

'In shock?' I questioned.

Anna shifted her position on the sand so she was now cross legged facing me. 'You have to understand, that what _you_ are, _wolves_ I mean, is something that I believed to be extinct. That's what our kind has believed for a long time. You were just figments of stories, just like we are in a way.'

'Well I guess that's understandable,' I paused, swallowing hard before my next sentence. 'Anna, you do realise our purpose for existence don't you?'

'Yes, _to kill vampires_.' She answered so simply, releasing my hand.

I rubbed the back of my head nervously. 'And, how do you feel about that?'

Her face remained so calm. I just exposed the reason for our existence, and she accepted it like she was completely fine about it all. 'I'm hardly in a position to judge Jake. I don't blame you for you existence. The truth is, I don't really blame anything or anyone. It kind of sucks, but that's your purpose in life.'

I don't know what made me shift my own position, but I felt a need, a want, to be close to her, so I movd onto my knees and leaned closer to her. 'You know I would _never _hurt you right?' I reached out to grab her hands and enveloped them in mine. The cool smooth skin against my heat made me tingle. I felt the spark again. _Okay, maybe that was a bit too forward but I just wanted to tell her that I could never hurt her. Her value was far too great to me. _

Anna laughed, but did not remove her hands from mine. 'Well, if that were case, and you had to kill me, I would put up one hell of a good fight.' She sounded so light hearted.

_It would never come to that. I would die before I could even lay a finger on her_.

We sat there for a few moments, my hands still enclosed in hers. She was the first to break contact by releasing her hands from mine, but instead she moved her body up towards mine and I copied her so we were both looking out at the sea. It was so calm today. She edged closer and when I felt our shoulders meet, she tilted her head to the side, and leant her delicate head on my right shoulder. My body reacted like any male would do, and I snaked my right arm around her waist, holding her body to mine. The contact was so basic, but it felt so right. I didn't want to break it. I knew from now on I would have start being more careful about what images I had in my head from now on, purely because I didn't know which ones Anna would 'see'. I figured I would just have to have the words SEX spoken through my head so that way, she would never 'see' what I truly wanted to think. I hated having to be careful with my thoughts around that leech, but around Anna too? This was a bit of nightmare.

God was seriously out to get me now.

'Jake, you know I would never tell a soul about what you are. Just because you're a wolf, doesn't define you. It's not what makes you '_Jacob_'' Anna spoke sweetly.

I smiled at her sentiment. 'I guess the wolf's outta the bag now huh?' I joked.

Anna laughed. 'So what happens now?'

Great, now Anna knew our secret, this could seriously mess up her living arrangements. How the hell was I supposed to tell the rest of the pack that Anna knew?

'I should probably tell Sam that you know about us.' I responded solemly.

'Will he be angry?' Anna questioned and I sensed she was worried.

I tried not to visualise Sam angry because I didn't want Anna to worry any more than she already was. 'Probably, but in many ways, it will make things easier.'

Anna pulled her head away from my shoulder to look up at me. 'Easier?'

_I had to think of an answer fast._ 'Y'know, with you living on the Rez, and not having to endure the smell of wet dog and not being able to know why.'

She nodded in agreement. 'That would be nice.' She placed her head back on my shoulder and I let my fingertips draw circles on her spine. I heard her moan slightly as she nestled into my shoulder. I know it seems a weird thing to be turned on by, but when you've imprinted, believe me, you have NO control over how your body reacts to certain things or certain situations. The fact that Anna was this close to me was something I imagined, but never thought would happen. Fucking hell - I'm practically cuddling a vampire!

'Hey, is that Quil?' Anna's head shot up as she looked back down the beach. True to her word, there was Quil on the beach with Claire.

'Come on.' I helped Anna up and we set back off down the beach. I was not sure how the rest of the pack were going to deal with Anna knowing our secret, but I was fully prepared to accept my fate, whatever that was. As long as Anna was still going to be in my life, I was content with ever the punishment was. I turned to Anna, and she smiled at me, her lavender eyes shone in the sunlight. She was a like flame, and I was the moth.

I just hoped I wasn't gonna get burnt.


End file.
